Sao Paulo, Brazil, November 4, 2026: The McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team heads to Brazil for the 2026 São Paulo Grand Prix with a renewed focus on strengthening its position in the Constructors’ Championship. Following a disappointing race weekend in Mexico City, McLaren will be looking to bounce back at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, better known as Interlagos, as it continues its battle for third place in the championship.

McLaren is currently 17 points behind Red Bull in the fight for third, with 172 points still available in the remaining races. The team believes there is still plenty to fight for and will be aiming to maximise the potential of its MCL40 cars at the Brazilian circuit.

Despite the frustrating outcome in Mexico City, McLaren believes the MCL40 demonstrated competitive pace and is confident that further development could help it close the gap to its rivals.

McLaren MCL40 to Receive Aerodynamic Upgrades

A key focus heading into the São Paulo Grand Prix will be the introduction of aerodynamic upgrades to the MCL40. The development package includes updates to the front wing and rear wing, along with smaller floor components, as McLaren looks to improve aerodynamic performance and refine the car’s overall balance.

Peter Prodromou, McLaren’s Chief Technical Officer – Aerodynamics, said the upgrades form part of the team’s regular development programme and are intended to improve competitiveness over the remaining races of the 2026 season.

According to Prodromou, the objective is not only to make up ground in the current Constructors’ Championship battle but also to build momentum ahead of the 2027 season.

São Paulo is considered a representative circuit for evaluating the effectiveness of the new components, and McLaren hopes the upgrades will help the MCL40 take another step towards the front of the grid.

Interestingly, the team also expects to carry forward the concept of its updated front wing into the launch specification of its 2027 Formula 1 car. This makes the Brazilian GP an important opportunity to gather development data that could influence its next-generation machinery.

Interlagos Presents a Different Challenge

The 2026 São Paulo GP will present McLaren with several technical and strategic challenges. Interlagos is known for its elevation changes, flowing corners and the long uphill run towards the start-finish straight.

Finding the right balance between cornering performance and straight-line speed will be crucial. Traction and stability will also play an important role in ensuring competitive lap times and creating overtaking opportunities.

Unpredictable weather conditions are another defining characteristic of the Brazilian Grand Prix. McLaren will need to carefully monitor tyre behaviour, manage traffic on the relatively short circuit and respond quickly to changing track conditions.

With practice sessions offering limited opportunities to fine-tune the car, efficient preparation and strategic decision-making will be particularly important.

Leonardo Fornaroli to Replace Oscar in FP1

McLaren will also give its reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli another opportunity to drive the MCL40 during Free Practice 1 in Brazil.

Fornaroli, who is also part of the team’s 2027 Hypercar driver line-up, will replace Oscar Piastri for the opening practice session. This will be McLaren’s fourth and final mandated rookie FP1 outing for the 2026 season.

The Italian has already driven the MCL40 during FP1 sessions at the Barcelona-Catalunya, Hungarian and Mexico City Grands Prix. His outing at Interlagos will complete the team’s rookie running requirement for the season.

With the Constructors’ Championship battle entering its concluding phase, McLaren will be hoping its aerodynamic developments translate into improved on-track performance and valuable points in Brazil.

For the Woking-based outfit, the objective is clear: maximise the potential of both cars, close the 17-point deficit to Red Bull and strengthen its position in the fight for third in the 2026 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship.