The 2026 Belgian Grand Prix ended with points for both McLaren drivers, but it also left the team wondering how much more could have been achieved.
On paper, fifth and seventh place may not seem like a disaster. In reality, however, Spa was a race full of missed opportunities.
Oscar Piastri looked capable of fighting for the podium during the opening stint. His pace was strong, and McLaren appeared to have the speed to challenge Ferrari and Red Bull. But everything changed after an early battle with Charles Leclerc.
The contact damaged the floor of Piastri’s MCL40, costing him valuable downforce and between two and three tenths of a second per lap. From that moment on, tyre degradation became a much bigger problem, making it impossible to maintain his earlier pace. Despite driving an excellent recovery race, he had to settle for fifth place.
Lando Norris faced an even more frustrating afternoon.
After starting 13th because of a ten-place grid penalty for taking a new power unit, Norris quickly worked his way through the field. McLaren extended his first stint on hard tyres, hoping to gain an advantage through strategy.
For a brief period, the plan worked perfectly.
Norris inherited the race lead and looked well positioned for a strong finish. However, the timing of the Virtual Safety Car ultimately benefited several rivals, and a slow pit stop with a technical issue cost him even more valuable time. Instead of fighting for the podium, Norris dropped back and finished seventh.
Despite the disappointing result, there were clear positives for McLaren.
Both drivers repeatedly praised the balance and pace of the car. Norris admitted that the MCL40 had enough speed to fight for the podium, while Piastri believed the damage prevented what could have been one of his strongest races of the season. The team also confirmed that another major upgrade package is scheduled for the second half of the year, with the goal of returning to regular podium contention.
Spa therefore felt less like a poor performance and more like a race where circumstances worked against McLaren.
The raw pace was there. The result simply failed to reflect it.