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

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

They will persist to provide their two drivers the best chance they can and operate the team on a basis of equity and equanimity.

"This is the approach we plan racing. This is the method in which we approach competition, and we want to remain equitable, and we want to maintain equality to our drivers."

Team principal Stella is a veteran of numerous championship fights. He claimed the championship as race engineer to Kimi Raikkonen in the 2007 season when the Ferrari racer made up 17 points under the previous points system in two races to secure the championship, while McLaren imploded.

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

Andrea Stella stated after the race in Texas: "We view 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 exclusively be determined by the numbers."

"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 in fact the third-placed driver that wins the championship. So we're not going to close the door unless this is determined by mathematics."

What Prompted McLaren to Cease Development on The Current Car?

All teams this year have had to face the dilemma of how long to focus on their 2025 season car while also making sure they are as prepared as they can be for the significant regulation change scheduled for the 2026 season.

In Formula 1, it's usually the case that if a team makes mistakes at the beginning of a new regulation period, it can take a considerable period to catch up. And if they get it right, that advantage can last for a while - look at the Red Bull team in 2022 and 2023, the most recent occasion the regulations changed.

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

They continued to improve it for a period, but were experiencing diminishing returns. So when evaluating the value for money they were achieving on their 2025 car versus the 2026 car, it became an straightforward decision to switch focus to next year.

Red Bull have caught up since introducing their updated floor and front wing at the Monza Grand Prix, but the McLaren stays competitive - team principal Andrea Stella stated he thought Norris had the speed to compete for the win in Austin had he not ended up behind Charles Leclerc.

"We just have to continue maximising the performance and keep executing good weekends. And from this point of view, if you consider a Grand Prix like Baku City Circuit, we failed to optimize the car's potential and we didn't deliver a perfect performance."

"So definitely we have a large chance, and the outcome of this season and the drivers' championship is in our control. It's not placed in another team's control."

Team Changes: How Challenging Is It to Switch Teams?

Initially, it's uncertain the question has an entirely correct basis. It's correct that both Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz had slightly difficult first halves of the championship, in varying manners, and that they are now faring much better.

Sainz and Alex Albon do now look quite balanced. However, it's less certain that, in Lewis Hamilton's case, he is yet the "match" of Charles Leclerc - or not consistently, at least.

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

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

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

In hindsight, Leclerc was on the optimal strategy. Nevertheless, over the season, and even now, it's difficult to argue that on average Charles Leclerc has not been the superior Ferrari driver this season.

Both Hamilton and Carlos Sainz have talked about how challenging it is to switch teams, and we have to accept their statements.

Hamilton would not say even currently that he was completely adjusted to Ferrari - and he is expecting the new rules next season will suit him; he has never really enjoyed these ground-effect vehicles.

There is a lot for a driver to get their head around when they change constructors, as Hamilton has explained many times this season. But not every driver faces difficulties in this manner.

Fernando Alonso, for instance, was on it from the beginning of the 2023 season when he moved to the Aston Martin team. And would Verstappen face challenges if he switched teams? I suspect the majority in Formula 1 would expect not.

When Will We Know Next Year's Competitive Order?

Until the cars run for the initial time in winter testing next year, nobody will know how the constructors are performing in the upcoming season.

The initial session, in Catalunya on 26-30 January, is private because the teams preferred to get their heads around their initial track time of the new engines without the scrutiny of the media.

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

But, as ever, it's only at the first race that the true and accurate picture will become clear.