McLaren makes MCL40 upgrade announcement ahead of Hungarian GP

It was already known that Aston Martin will arrive in Budapest armed with a substantial upgrade package, but it turns out that McLaren wants to join in on the fun.

In a major announcement ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren confirmed that a ‘valuable package of upgrades’ will adorn the MCL40s at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

McLaren confirms ‘valuable’ MCL40 upgrades for Hungary

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The F1 2026 development battle, which had been relentless as advertised in the opening rounds of F1 2026, had begun to slow over recent races. It will ramp back up in Hungary, the final round before the summer break.

A B-Spec Aston Martin AMR26 is making its way to Budapest, ahead of a Honda engine upgrade anticipated for Zandvoort.

But, McLaren will also be making a move in the development scrap.

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown had previously hinted at a looming package to boost the MCL40. The team has now confirmed that these upgrades will arrive for Hungary.

Ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren described the work as a ‘valuable package of upgrades, marking another milestone in the car’s development pathway under the new era and regulations of Formula 1.’

A ‘new floor’ is the centrepiece of the package, alongside ‘further other aerodynamic parts.’ These will be tested during the Hungarian Grand Prix practice sessions.

In addition, McLaren confirmed that its ‘Macarena’ rear wing will be back – developed since the version which failed to debut in Austria – to be tested during Hungary FP1.

McLaren stated that the wing is not scheduled for a full introduction at either the Hungarian or Dutch GPs.

McLaren confirmed that further upgrades are planned in the second half of F1 2026.

Randy Singh, McLaren’s senior director, racing, said: “Heading to Hungary, we’re looking forward to a very different challenge at the Hungaroring and the final race before the summer shutdown.

“It’s a circuit that demands a high-downforce package and rewards confidence under braking, strong corner entry and good traction, while the combination of hot temperatures, relentless corners and limited straights makes tyre management a key factor.

“As always this season, we’ll also be focused on getting the most from our power unit deployment across the lap and understanding how the revised overtaking characteristics influence strategy.

“We have an upgrade package arriving this weekend too, and in such a competitive season every development is important so it will be great to gather further understanding on how those parts perform throughout Free Practice.

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“Our aim is to maximise everything we have available, carry positive momentum into the shutdown and put ourselves in the strongest possible position for the second half of the championship.”

McLaren heads into the Hungarian Grand Prix third in the Constructors’ standings, 90 points behind Ferrari in second.

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