- RichardAll the F1 teams headed into 2026 knowing that the season would be defined by development. Typically, a team will bring an upgrade, their competitiveness will increase, but then it will shift as other teams bring their own upgrades. And the good news is that McLaren is now back in this race of upgrades while fighting for the lead. Surely McLaren have the expertise and they could benefit their road car industry and their F1 car if they became a works team. The manufacturers supplying engines to F1 this year have all spent hundreds of millions of pounds developing their power-units.