🔗 Share this article

Do McLaren Accept Reality of F1 - That to Win, It's Not Always Possible to Play Fair?

The McLaren team are well aware of the difficulty they confront with Max Verstappen and the Red Bull team in the championship battle this season, but they don't believe to modify their method to managing the team.

They will continue to provide their two drivers the optimal opportunity they can and operate the team on a foundation of fairness and equanimity.

"This represents the way we intend racing. This is the philosophy in which we tackle racing, and we aim to stay equitable, and we intend to apply equal treatment to both drivers."

Team principal Andrea Stella is a veteran of numerous title battles. He won the title as engineer to Raikkonen in 2007 when the Ferrari driver recovered 17 points under the old scoring system in two Grands Prix to win the title, while the McLaren team imploded.

And he missed out on the championship as engineer to Fernando Alonso in the 2010 season, when Ferrari messed up their race strategy at the final race of the season and allowed Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull to sneak the title from under their noses.

Stella stated following the Grand Prix in Austin: "We look at the remaining five Grands Prix as chances to increase the lead on Verstappen. And when it involves having to make a decision as to a driver, this will only be determined by mathematics."

"We rely on the experience. I can remember at least the 2007 season, the 2010 season, in which you reach the final Grand Prix and it's actually the [driver in] third [place] that wins the championship. So we're not going to close the door unless this is closed by the calculations."

What Prompted McLaren to Stop Upgrades on The Current Car?

All teams this season have had to face the conundrum of for how long to concentrate on their 2025 car while also ensuring they are as ready as they can be for the major rules overhaul coming for 2026.

In Formula 1, it's typically the case that if a team gets it wrong at the start of a new regulation period, it can take a long time to recover. And if they get it right, that benefit can last for a while - consider Red Bull in 2022 and 2023, the most recent occasion the rules were modified.

McLaren began this season with the best car, after putting a lot of innovation into their 2025 season design.

They did continue to improve it for a period, but were finding reduced benefits. So when evaluating the value for money they were achieving on their 2025 season car versus 2026, it became an easy decision to switch focus to the following season.

Red Bull have closed the gap since introducing their updated floor and front wing at the Monza Grand Prix, but the McLaren car stays competitive - team boss Stella stated he thought Norris had the speed to compete for the win in Austin had he not finished behind Leclerc.

"We just have to continue maximising the performance and continue delivering good weekends. And from this point of view, if you think of a Grand Prix like Baku, we failed to optimize the car's potential and we didn't deliver a flawless race."

"Therefore we have a significant opportunity, and the result of this season and the drivers' championship is in our control. It's not in someone else's hands."

Team Changes: How Difficult Is It to Switch Teams?

First of all, I'm not sure the question has an entirely correct premise. It's true that each of Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz had somewhat difficult opening phases of the season, in varying manners, and that they are now performing much better.

Carlos Sainz and Albon do now appear very even. However, it's less certain that, in Lewis Hamilton's case, he is currently the "match" of Charles Leclerc - or not consistently, at least.

Lewis Hamilton has failed to outperform Charles Leclerc frequently at all this year, either in qualifying sessions or race.

He is currently significantly nearer than he previously. He is consistently qualifying within a few hundredths of a second of Leclerc, but in qualifying it's four-two to Leclerc since the summer break.

This last weekend in Austin, on one of Hamilton's preferred tracks, he was a second behind Leclerc when the Monaco driver made his tire change, and lost thirteen seconds over the remaining portion of the Grand Prix.

Looking back, Charles Leclerc was on the optimal race strategy. Regardless, over the championship, and even currently, it's difficult to argue that on average Leclerc has not been the better Ferrari racer this year.

Both Hamilton and Sainz have discussed how difficult it is to switch teams, and we have to accept their statements.

Hamilton would not claim even currently that he was completely adjusted to Ferrari - and he is expecting the regulation changes next season will suit him; he has never particularly liked these venturi cars.

There is a great deal for a driver to get their head around when they change constructors, as Hamilton has explained repeatedly this year. But not every driver faces difficulties in this way.

Alonso, for example, was on it from the beginning of the 2023 season when he moved to Aston Martin. And would Max Verstappen struggle if he changed constructors? I believe most in Formula 1 would anticipate he wouldn't.

When Will We Know The Coming Season's Competitive Order?

Until the cars run for the initial time in pre-season testing next season, nobody will know how the teams are performing next year.

The initial session, in Catalunya on January 26-30, is behind closed doors because the teams wanted to get their heads around their first running of the power unit changes without the prying eyes of the media.

So the pair of sessions in Sakhir on February 11-13 and 18-20 February will be the initial occasion some kind of indication of relative performance becomes apparent.

But, as always, it's only at the season opener that the complete and precise picture will emerge.