On the eve of the Barcelona shakedown, Andrea Stella confirmed that even in 2026 there will be no true number one driver at McLaren.
The first days of testing for the new Formula 1 season are fast approaching, marking the debut of McLaren’s MCL40. Andrea Stella made it clear that McLaren will continue to follow its management philosophy: even in 2026, there will be no designated number one driver within the team.
The papaya rules also in 2026
The so-called papaya rules came under heavy criticism during last season, with McLaren risking the Drivers’ Championship due to strong internal competition. A strategy that, while risky at times, contributed—according to Stella—to the successes achieved in 2025, as reported by F1.com: We talked a lot last year about internal competition at McLaren. From this point of view, we will enter 2026 with complete continuity. We will continue racing the McLaren way“.
According to the Italian team principal, what made the difference in 2024, with the Constructors’ Championship win, and in 2025, with the Drivers’ and Constructors’ double, was above all the way the team operated: “If we were able to succeed in 2024 and 2025, what added extra value was the way we did it: collaboratively, supportively, and cohesively, together with our drivers“.
This, however, does not mean stagnation. Stella admitted that managing internal competition requires a significant expenditure of resources, both for the team and for the drivers themselves. And it is precisely in this area that McLaren intends to take action: ” We conducted a thorough review to understand where we could improve. In most situations, we said: we would do the same thing again. But we have identified some opportunities to streamline the way we operate “.
