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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 challenge they face with Verstappen and Red Bull in the drivers' championship this season, but they see no reason to change their approach to managing the team.

They will persist to give their two drivers the optimal opportunity they can and run the team on a basis of equity and balance.

"This is the manner we plan racing. This remains the philosophy in which we approach competition, and we aim to stay fair, and we want to maintain equality to both drivers."

Team boss Andrea Stella is a seasoned expert of numerous championship fights. He claimed the title as race engineer to Kimi Raikkonen in the 2007 season when the Ferrari driver recovered 17 points under the previous points system in two Grands Prix to secure the championship, while McLaren imploded.

And he lost the championship 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 allowed Vettel and Red Bull to sneak the championship from under their noses.

Stella commented following the Grand Prix in Texas: "We look at the remaining five Grands Prix as chances to extend the lead on Max. And when it involves having to make a call as to a driver, this will exclusively be determined by the numbers."

"We lean on the past experience. I can recall at least the 2007 season, the 2010 season, in which you go to the last race and it's in fact the [driver in] third [place] that claims the championship. So we're not going to close the door unless this is closed by mathematics."

What Prompted McLaren to Stop Development on The Current Car?

Every team this season have had to face the conundrum of how long to concentrate on their 2025 season car while also ensuring they are as prepared as they can be for the major regulation change coming for the 2026 season.

In F1, it's typically the case that if a team gets it wrong at the beginning of a new rules cycle, it can take a long time to recover. And if they get it right, that advantage can last for a while - consider Red Bull in 2022 and 2023, the last time the regulations changed.

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

They continued to improve it for a while, but were finding diminishing returns. So when looking at the value for money they were getting on their 2025 car compared to the 2026 car, it became an easy choice to redirect attention to the following season.

The Red Bull team have closed the gap since bringing their updated underfloor and front wing at the Italian Grand Prix, but the McLaren remains competitive - team principal Stella said he believed Lando Norris had the pace to challenge for the win in Texas had he not ended up behind Charles Leclerc.

"We just have to keep maximising the car performance and continue executing 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 flawless performance."

"Therefore we have a large opportunity, and the result of this championship and the driver's title is in our control. It's not in another team's control."

Team Changes: How Challenging Is It to Change Constructors?

First of all, it's uncertain the inquiry has an completely correct basis. It's correct that both Lewis Hamilton and Sainz had somewhat sticky opening phases of the championship, in varying manners, and that they are currently faring much better.

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

Lewis Hamilton has not beaten Charles Leclerc frequently at all this year, either in qualifying sessions or Grand Prix.

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

This previous weekend in Texas, on one of Hamilton's favourite circuits, he was a second behind his teammate when the Monegasque made his tire change, and lost thirteen seconds over the remaining portion of the Grand Prix.

In hindsight, Leclerc was on the best race strategy. Nevertheless, over the season, and even now, it's hard to argue that on balance Leclerc has hasn't been the better Ferrari driver this year.

Each of Hamilton and Sainz have discussed how difficult it is to change constructors, and we have to take them at their word.

Lewis Hamilton would not claim even now that he was completely adjusted to the Ferrari car - and he is expecting the new rules next season will benefit his driving style; he has never really enjoyed these ground-effect vehicles.

There is a lot for a racing driver to understand and adapt to when they change constructors, as Hamilton has explained many times this year. But not every driver faces difficulties in this manner.

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

When Will We Know Next Year's Competitive Order?

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

The first test, in Catalunya on 26-30 January, is behind closed doors because the constructors preferred to get their heads around their first running of the power unit changes without the scrutiny of the press.

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

But, as always, it's not until the season opener that the complete and precise picture will emerge.