McLaren change focus as GPS data shows their chassis cost Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in China

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McLaren have now made improving their chassis the priority in Woking, after the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix proved the weakness of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s MCL40.

The papaya outfit had left the season-opening Australian Grand Prix earlier in March with an array of questions about how they could operate their Mercedes engine better. But McLaren now see their chassis as the bigger concern, as they are starting to understand the PU more.

Qualifying for the Chinese GP last Saturday opened McLaren’s eyes to the full extent of their deficit due to their chassis compared to Mercedes, and to a lesser extent Ferrari. Piastri and Norris were 0.486s and 0.544s off Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s pole position pace, for P5 and P6.

McLaren did not see how the MCL40 compared with the Mercedes W17 or the Ferrari SF-26 in the Chinese GP, as Norris and Piastri suffered separate electrical issues that stopped them from starting. It marked McLaren’s first double did not start since the 2005 United States GP.

Is Lando Norris’ championship title defence already over?

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GPS data revealed McLaren’s chassis cost them lap time in medium-to-high speed corners in China

Qualifying for the Chinese GP as Antonelli scored pole last Saturday gave McLaren a wake-up to the issues with the MCL40. Piastri and Norris’ lack of single-lap speed at the Shanghai International Circuit has ‘exposed’ that McLaren’s chassis is their ‘specific weakness’ to sort.

READ MORE: 2026 Chinese Grand Prix race report, as Kimi Antonelli scored his first F1 win

That is according to Motorsport-Total, which reports that McLaren’s focus has now shifted to their chassis and away from how they can utilise their Mercedes power unit better. GPS data proved the MCL40 loses a lot of lap time in the corners, especially Shanghai’s first complex.

Piastri and Norris could not get close to the speed that Antonelli and George Russell carried in the Mercedes W17 through the twisting Turn 1-2-3-4 sequence throughout qualifying for the Chinese GP. They also lost time in the medium-to-high speed bends of Turn 7, 8 and 16.

McLaren have a development plan in place for their overweight chassis

McLaren are well aware that their chassis needs work, and Andrew Benson has noted on the BBC’s Chequered Flag podcast that the Woking crew have a ‘big development plan’ in place. The papaya crew accept their car is ‘a bit overweight’, so they are now working on upgrades.

The speed at which McLaren can build any chassis, as well as aerodynamic, upgrades will be decisive in determining whether they will be able to battle Mercedes and Ferrari this year. It will also decide whether they can retain the F1 drivers’ championship and constructors’ title.

Norris won the drivers’ title for the first time in his career last year, as McLaren retained the constructors’ crown. But despite McLaren switching their focus to F1’s 2026 regulations last July, the MCL40 is not fast enough to compete for podiums, let alone the titles, at this stage.