Alex Brundle Questions McLaren's F1 Upgrade After Azerbaijan GP Disappointment

F1 TV pundit Alex Brundle has questioned whether McLaren's latest Formula 1 upgrade package is already destined for the bin following a disappointing weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The Woking-based outfit arrived at the race with a major upgrade package, but the reigning champions failed to score any points.

During the race, 2025 Formula 1 champion Lando Norris crashed in a Turn 1 incident at a safety car restart after Alpine's Franco Colapinto locked up and collided with teammate Pierre Gasly, who in turn crashed into Norris. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri, who had been in contention for a podium finish, also suffered a lock-up that moved him towards the back of the pack, ultimately finishing 13th and outside the points.

Speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Brundle argued that while a zero-point finish does not fairly represent the performance of the upgrades, their physical fragility is a major concern. He noted that cracks on the floorboards were visible throughout the weekend and mentioned that Norris was instructed mid-race not to take the kerbs. Brundle warned that spending significant money and wind tunnel time in 2026 Formula 1 on upgrades that cannot physically operate due to structural weakness is a major disaster for the reigning champions.

McLaren currently sits third in the constructors' championship with 306 points. They remain behind second-placed Ferrari with 378 points and championship leaders Mercedes with 538 points.