🔗 Share this article

Do McLaren Face the Truth of F1 - That if You Want Win, It's Not Always Possible to Be Fair?

McLaren are well aware of the challenge they face with Max Verstappen and Red Bull in the drivers' championship this year, but they don't believe to alter their approach to managing the team.

They will continue to give both drivers the best chance they can and operate the team on a basis of fairness and balance.

"This represents the manner we plan racing. This is the method in which we approach competition, and we want to remain fair, and we want to apply equality to our drivers."

Team principal Stella is a veteran of many championship fights. He won the title as race engineer to Raikkonen in 2007 when the Ferrari racer recovered seventeen points under the previous points system in two Grands Prix to win the championship, while McLaren imploded.

And he lost the championship as engineer to Fernando Alonso in 2010, when the Ferrari team messed up their strategy at the final race of the championship and enabled Sebastian Vettel and the Red Bull team to snatch the championship from their grasp.

Stella said following the race in Austin: "We look at the remaining five Grands Prix as chances to extend the lead on Max. And when it comes to having to make a call as to a driver, this will exclusively be led by mathematics."

"We rely on the experience. I can recall at least the 2007 season, 2010, in which you reach the final Grand Prix and it's in fact the [driver in] third [place] that wins the title. So we're not going to make decisions unless this is determined by mathematics."

Why Did McLaren Cease Upgrades on This Year's Car?

Every team this season have had to confront the conundrum of for how long to focus on their 2025 car while also ensuring they are as prepared as they can be for the significant rules overhaul scheduled for the 2026 season.

In F1, it's typically the case that if a team makes mistakes at the beginning of a new rules cycle, it can take a considerable period to recover. And if they get it right, that benefit can continue for some time - consider the Red Bull team in 2022 and 2023, the last time the rules changed.

The McLaren team began this season with the fastest car, after putting a lot of technical development into their 2025 design.

They did continue to improve it for a while, but were finding reduced benefits. So when looking at the value for money they were achieving on their 2025 car compared to 2026, it became an straightforward decision to switch focus to next year.

Red Bull have caught up since bringing their new floor and front wing at the Monza Grand Prix, but the McLaren remains competitive - team principal Stella stated he believed Lando Norris had the pace to challenge for the win in Texas had he not finished following Charles Leclerc.

"We must continue maximising the car performance and continue delivering strong weekends. And from this point of view, if you consider a race like Baku, we didn't maximise the performance and we didn't execute a perfect performance."

"So definitely we have a significant opportunity, and the outcome of this season and the driver's title is in our control. It's not placed in someone else's hands."

Driver Transfers: How Challenging Is It to Change Constructors?

Initially, I'm not sure the question has an completely correct premise. It's correct that each of Hamilton and Sainz had somewhat sticky opening phases of the season, in varying manners, and that they are now faring much better.

Sainz and Alex Albon currently appear very even. However, it's not so clear that, in Lewis Hamilton's case, he is yet the "match" of Leclerc - or not regularly, anyway.

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

He is now significantly nearer than he previously. He is consistently setting times within a small fraction of a second of his teammate, but in qualifying battles it's 4-2 to Charles Leclerc since the summer break.

This last weekend in Austin, on one of Lewis Hamilton's favourite circuits, he was a full second slower than his teammate when the Monegasque made his pit stop, and lost thirteen seconds over the rest of the race.

In hindsight, Charles Leclerc was on the best strategy. Regardless, over the season, and even now, it's difficult to argue that on average Leclerc has hasn't been the better Ferrari driver this season.

Each of Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz have discussed how challenging it is to change constructors, and we have to accept their statements.

Hamilton would not say even now that he was fully adapted to the Ferrari car - and he is hoping the new rules next year will suit him; he has never particularly liked these venturi cars.

There is a great deal for a driver to understand and adapt to when they change constructors, as Hamilton has explained repeatedly this season. But not every driver faces difficulties in this manner.

Fernando Alonso, for instance, was performing well from the beginning of the 2023 when he transferred to Aston Martin. And would Max Verstappen face challenges if he switched teams? I believe most in F1 would expect not.

When Will We Know The Coming Season's Team Performance?

Until the F1 cars run for the first time in pre-season testing next season, no-one will know how the teams are looking in the upcoming season.

The initial session, in Catalunya on 26-30 January, is behind closed doors because the constructors wanted to get their heads around their first running of the new engines without the prying eyes of the press.

So the two tests in Bahrain on 11-13 and February 18-20 will be the first time a certain indication of comparative speed becomes apparent.

But, as ever, it's only at the season opener that the complete and precise situation will become clear.