Andrea Stella issued a sharp warning to rivals after McLaren’s first 2026 victory, with Lando Norris dominating Hungary. The win put Norris 91 points behind champion Kimi Antonelli and McLaren 159 points behind Mercedes. To stay in title contention, Norris still needs to overtake Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Charles Leclerc, while Ferrari trail Mercedes by 72 points.

Stella believes that if McLaren can replicate the Budapest performance, they can maintain momentum for the remaining 12 races. He highlighted the importance of the upgraded MCL40 పన and the need to outpace rivals in the "race within the race" of updates. The team’s 546 points up for grabs give them ample opportunity to close gaps.

He praised the collaboration with Mercedes HPP on the power unit, noting that deepening their understanding has begun to pay off, though optimization will remain complex throughout the season.

The season resumes after the summer break with a sprint weekend at the Dutch Grand Prix, where every session will be live on Sky Sports.