11 March 2026 11:45 (UTC)
"There is a lot of effort by the team, both trackside and in Woking, to develop the car"
Last weekend’s season opener in Australia gave us our first real-world glimpse of what racing in 2026 might look like, offering some early answers to the big questions heading into the new era - from how the new racing modes will operate to the importance of energy management, as well as an initial indication of which teams have the quickest and most reliable cars.
We won’t know the full picture for several more race weekends, with the competitive order only becoming clearer as the season progresses. However, the team gathered a wealth of data and valuable learnings in Australia, which will prove crucial in both the short and long term.
Ahead of this weekend’s race in China, we caught up with Technical Director, Applied Engineering Neil Houldey, to review what we learned in Melbourne and what to expect from the challenge in Shanghai. We’ll also take a closer look at the key characteristics of the Shanghai International Circuit, test your knowledge with another tricky quiz question, and revisit a significant race from our past.
“We have gathered and analysed lots of data across multiple areas since the MCL40 first took to the track in January’s shakedown. Last weekend’s first race of the season in Australia provided the team with further valuable information as we continue our journey of development and learning under the new regulations.
“To see the car in various scenarios under racing conditions for the first time was a good opportunity for new knowledge progression, and we understand that there is still a lot to do as we continue to work hard to further exploit the performance of the power unit while also putting additional focus on areas such as improving grip in corners.
“The next few races will continue to see this focus in place as we look to extract the maximum performance from our current configuration. There is a lot of effort by the team, both trackside and in Woking, to develop the car, but we are aware that it will take a few more races to be in a position to bring any major upgrades to track.
“Therefore, going into this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, we have collectively taken all of our learnings from Melbourne and regrouped as a team together with our HPP partners to make sure that we deliver as much performance as possible to put the team in a strong competitive position for opportunities in both Saturday’s Sprint race and Sunday’s Grand Prix.”
The Shanghai International Circuit provides plenty of overtaking opportunities and will pose an interesting test under the new regulations for when to use Boost and Overtake Mode and attack, and when to conserve energy and defend.
As with many tracks on the calendar, the first corner offers, arguably, the best overtaking opportunity, but the opening turn in China is particularly special. Ranked among the most exciting on the F1 calendar, cars are able to battle side-by-side going into the 270-degree turn, but one must back off as it gradually decreases in radius and narrows.
There are three further changes for overtaking down the road. Turns 6 and 11 are both heavy braking zones and offer up opportunities for those who can be late on the brakes. Rivalling Turn 1 for the best place to make a move, though, is the 14th corner – drivers are able to line up a lunge down one of the longest straights on the calendar, stretching 1.2km, before battling into Turn 14.
Lando finished fifth to bank 10 valuable early-season points for the team, impressively holding off a resurgent Max Verstappen in the closing stages. It was a tough weekend for Oscar, however, who was unable to start his home Grand Prix, having crashed on his first reconnaissance laps-to-grid, and will be looking to bounce back in China.
13 - 15 MARCH
2026 will see us become only the second team in history to reach 1,000 Grand Prix starts. To celebrate this remarkable achievement, each round, we will revisit one of our favourite races from that circuit and hear from those who were there. This week, we’re looking back at Lewis Hamilton’s victory in the 2008 Chinese Grand Prix.
China was the penultimate race of the 2008 season, and we arrived with Lewis Hamilton leading the Drivers’ Championship, and with the potential to deliver McLaren a first World Championship of the 21st Century. His advantage arriving in Shanghai was five points over Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. If Hamilton had nerves, they were well-hidden: quick in Practice and on Pole for the race.
Hamilton made a good start and led almost from lights to flag, only surrendering the lead during the first of two pit stops, and that to team-mate Heikki Kovalainen. The Ferraris swapped position seven laps from home, keeping Massa’s Championship hopes alive with second place, but Lewis, at the track where his 2007 challenge had faltered, looked a safe bet for the 2008 title. He took the 10 points for victory and went to the last round in Brazil with a seven-point lead, needing only a fifth-place finish to become F1’s youngest-ever World Champion.
“Lewis Hamilton was anxious to lay to rest the ghosts of the previous year's race, which he did in magnificently overwhelming style,” recalls Neil Oatley, then Programme Director. “Lewis and the team executed a perfect race, heading the two Ferrari team cars home, setting up such a tense season finale in Brazil, with a final lap that will forever remain in everyone's mind.”
Each race week, we’ll be putting the same question to Lando and Oscar or two team members to find out just how similar (or different) they really are. The question could be anything: from their favourite corner on the F1 calendar, to their ultimate pre-race anthem, or even the one food they absolutely refuse to eat on race week.
This week, we asked them what their favourite gifts from fans have been.
Oscar: Tim Tams. The best flavour is double coat. I’ve tried triple coat, but it’s a bit overkill, and that is saying a lot for someone who loves chocolate.
Lando: The little things, like a little bracelet… Or sometimes, actual bracelets, not ones they’ve made, but genuine ones from nice brands.
Follow all of the action this weekend via the McLaren Racing App, available to download on Android and iOS.
