Ralf Schumacher says the new F1 regulations have exposed a ‘real problem’ with McLaren

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Ralf Schumacher is not convinced of McLaren’s 2026 Formula 1 car and how it will perform across the full season.

The Woking outfit came into the new regulations as defending champions, but McLaren have been struggling to find their feet. Lando Norris has openly criticised the new rules, while Oscar Piastri did not start the opening two races.

The Japanese GP was much better for the team after registering just 10 points through Norris in Australia and both cars failing to start in China. Piastri finished second behind Kimi Antonelli, and could have won had it not been for the safety car.

McLaren score their first podium of 2026 at the Japanese Grand Prix!

How many will they grab in total this season?

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There were tensions between McLaren and Mercedes as the customer team accused the Silver Arrows of withholding information about the power unit. Mercedes are still the team to beat, but Suzuka perhaps showed that McLaren have made a breakthrough.

McLaren say they ‘90%’ understand the Mercedes engine after Japan and will be looking to make more progress as the season goes on. But Schumacher has noticed a bigger problem.

Ralf Schumacher says McLaren will not catch Ferrari in 2026 due to having too much downforce

Speaking via Backstage Boxengasse, the German thinks the MCL40 has too much downforce, and that their Suzuka result masked the problem due to the twisty nature of the circuit.

Ferrari have been Mercedes’ closest challenger thus far, and Schumacher does not see McLaren beating them in 2026: “Right, well, I mean, with Ferrari, it’s down to the update now. We’re assuming there’ll be a massive update by the Miami Grand Prix at the latest.

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“I reckon that Fred Vasseur has it pretty well under control now; you can see the car’s handling well, so in that respect it’s a very good chassis, isn’t it? Obviously well-built too.

“Yes, and accordingly, I don’t think it’s possible anymore. I also think that the McLaren still has too much downforce due to its aerodynamic concept, so it’s not efficient enough for the current engine regulations.

“That was masked a bit at Suzuka, because of course that Esses section – the first sector – you need a lot of aerodynamics there, and the McLaren was strong there, but that’s going to be a real problem here and there.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine

Can McLaren catch Ferrari in 2026?

The one-month break in the season comes at the right time for McLaren as they can regroup and figure out a common balance for the car.

They clearly lacked the pace in Australia and China, even if they did not compete in the latter Grand Prix. McLaren are firmly the third-best team right now, with Ferrari some distance ahead.

Piastri joked that Ferrari will trip up with their engine in 2026. McLaren will need to work hard and develop the whole package if they want any chance of mounting a serious challenge to the Maranello outfit and Mercedes.