The McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team heads to the temple of speed in Monza with strong momentum after back-to-back victories in Hungary and the Netherlands.
Those results either side of the enforced summer break have underlined the positive progress made with the MCL40 and rewarded the hard work of the team, but the Italian Grand Prix presents a very different challenge this weekend.
Monza's unique low downforce demands mean that competition will remain extremely tough, with several of our rivals expected to bring circuit specific parts keeping the order at the front of the grid all to fight for.
While the MCL40 may not have the outright quickest package this weekend, the team will look to build on its recent momentum and make the most of every opportunity to secure strong points in the championship battle. This means that the focus will be on preparing well, maximising every session and putting the team in the best possible position to fight for a positive result in the first race weekend of the final European double-header.
As witnessed throughout the season, development also continues for McLaren with the ambition of improving the 2026 car across a wider range of circuits. As part of the continued development pathway, the team will bring some minor aerodynamic updates to the Autodromo Nazionale Monza. On top of that, the team plans to use previously declared parts that are specific for such a unique track layout as well as to introduce the so-called H-Wing, which debuted on track for the first time during practice at the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix in July.
The H-Wing's naming convention pays homage to McLaren's innovative F-duct, which debuted in 2010 and took its name from the 'F' in the branding positioned alongside the system's inlet on the car. In the same spirit, the H-Wing is named after the 'H' in Etihad Airways branding displayed on the rear wing as part of the team's partnership with the airline.
Every update is delivered with the aim of providing another opportunity to learn and build on the progress made in recent races and these parts will be available for use from Free Practice 1.
The McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team will also sport a special livery enhancement to celebrate the ongoing collaboration between McLaren Racing and OKX, which began in 2022. The latest livery enhancement builds on previous campaigns, including the Stealth Mode livery at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, the McLaren SENNA presented by OKX at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix, and the Riviera-inspired livery enhancement that featured at the 2025 Monaco and Spanish Grands Prix.
The livery enhancement will feature on both McLaren MCL40 race cars throughout the 2026 Italian Grand Prix weekend in Monza, before returning for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.
Neil Houldey - Technical Director, Applied Engineering: "We arrive at Monza following back-to-back victories, and it has been great for everyone in the team to see the progress we have made this season rewarded on track. Winning again was a fantastic feeling and has reinforced the motivation across the team to keep pushing. We know we have had a quick car at the last few races, but we are not taking anything for granted. This is a very different track from the most recent ones, and we can expect a pecking order that not necessarily reflects what has been seen in Hungary and in the Netherlands. Our rivals will continue to bring aerodynamic and power unit developments, so we will need to execute every detail well - from set-up and energy management to ensuring the drivers can perform at their absolute best - if we aspire to fight at the front again.
"Monza presents a unique challenge, with its long straights placing a premium on drag reduction, while the heavy braking zones demand stability and the chicanes require good ride performance. Energy will also be limited around the lap, so understanding the best way to recharge and deploy it will be an important focus during practice. Managing overtakes will therefore be particularly important, as different approaches to harvesting and deploying energy could create a yo-yo effect, with cars trading an advantage at different points around the lap.
"That said, the margins at the front remain extremely tight, so the accuracy of our pre-event simulation and simulator work will be critical in giving us a strong baseline. From there, we need clean practice sessions to refine the car and maximise the car-and-driver combination. This weekend, we have brought what we believe is needed to be competitive, including a new low-drag rear wing specification, including the first use of our H-Wing, alongside some small aerodynamic and low-drag options that we will evaluate before deciding the final specification for Qualifying. Overall, we know there is still more performance to unlock from the MCL40, both through maximising the package we already have and through further upgrades planned for the races ahead."
McLaren Racing Heritage - Italian Grand Prix
11 wins, 12 Poles, 33 podiums, 16 Fastest Laps
• Most recent win: 2021, Daniel Ricciardo in the MCL35M
• Special race: 1989, Alain Prost secures his final McLaren career win in the MP4/5
• Standout race: 2021, Daniel Ricciardo in the MCL35M
At Interlagos in 2012, the McLaren crew enjoying a cup of pre-packdown champagne would have been taken aback at the notion there wouldn't be another one of these evenings for nine seasons. By 2021, when Daniel Ricciardo won the Italian Grand Prix, few of that crew remained in the garage. It was, in many respects, the start of a new era for McLaren.
While singular, victory at Monza was not the product of luck or unusual circumstances. The MCL35M was fast all weekend at Monza, Daniel started from the front row, led into the first turn and was never caught. Lando had a more eventful race to make it a 1-2 finish but even in his case, the primary moments of drama happened behind him.
"After so long without win, it felt like a massive relief, but it also underlined the ambitions of the team for the future," says Andrew Salt, who was Daniel Ricciardo's No.1 at the time. "The result proved that the potential was there, we just needed to find the consistency."
The McLarens weren't quite as fast as the Mercedes or Red Bulls at Monza - but they had enough pace to stay in front if they could get in front... and if they got the strategy stone-cold perfect. "Our Qualifying positions meant no change to our usual race weekend approach from anyone involved," says Andrew.
Thus, Daniel's first stint was about keeping Max Verstappen bottled-up behind him. He hit all of his braking points, didn't present any opportunity for an overtaking lunge. Verstappen may have attempted an undercut, but he had issues of his own. Locked in a Drivers' Championship battle with Lewis Hamilton, he couldn't afford to pit too early and risk coming out behind Hamilton's Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas. Instead, it was Daniel who pulled the pin first, pitting as soon as his window was inside that of Bottas. The team needed a good stop, and got what proved to be the fastest of the day. Verstappen came in the next time around, but a slow stop ended any threat he might have posed.
Lando was having much the same race and Daniel, albeit in third place, was fighting a charging Hamilton. Hamilton finally got through on lap 24 but Lando immediately pitted, both undercutting to gain the position back, and also to come out ahead of Verstappen. Hamilton came in the next lap, and when he and Verstappen collided at the first chicane, they were distant in Lando's mirrors. The ensuing Safety Car didn't affect Daniel, who had used his few laps well to rebuild a decent margin, but Lando suffered when the cars that hadn't yet pitted got a cheap stop. He was relegated to third by Charles Leclerc but took the place back almost immediately after the resumption.
The celebration at Monza was tinged with relief. It had been a long time since McLaren had won, but when presented with an opportunity, the team functioned like World Champions of old: excellent pit-stops, excellent strategy and millimetre-perfect driving. "For me personally, it was a moment of huge pride," says Andrew. "The last time I was trackside for a win was, coincidentally, also at Monza in 2012. At the time, I was a trainee mechanic covering a support role in the garage and helping out wherever I could. Nine years later, almost to the day, I was standing in front of the car as the No. 1 mechanic on Daniel's car and then later that day on the pit wall, cheering him across the line in P1. I think that's a career highlight that won't be beaten."
While McLaren lore usually traces our resurgence to a mid-2023 upgrade that triggered a return to regular podiums, victory at Monza in 2021 stayed in a lot of people's minds, as proof that the team had what it takes.
Autodromo Nazionale Monza
Race laps: 53
Circuit length: 5.793 km/3.599 miles
Total race distance: 306.720 km/190.586 miles
Number of corners: 11 (7 right, 4 left)
Pitloss: +25s
Safety Car L1 Pitloss: +13s
Energy management required: High
Allocated tyre compounds: Hard: C3, Medium: C4 & Soft: C5.
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