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

The McLaren team are well aware of the challenge they encounter with Max Verstappen and Red Bull in the championship battle this season, but they see no reason to alter their method to managing the team.

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

"This represents the approach we intend competing. This remains the method in which we approach competition, and we want to remain equitable, and we intend to apply equality to our drivers."

Team boss Stella is a veteran of numerous title battles. He claimed the title as race engineer to Raikkonen in 2007 when the Ferrari racer recovered seventeen points under the old scoring system in two Grands Prix to secure the championship, while the McLaren team imploded.

And he lost the title as engineer to Fernando Alonso in the 2010 season, when the Ferrari team made errors in their strategy at the last Grand Prix of the season and allowed Sebastian Vettel and the Red Bull team to snatch the championship from their grasp.

Andrea Stella stated after the race in Austin: "We view the next five races as opportunities to extend the gap on Max. And when it involves having to make a decision as to a team driver, this will only be led by the numbers."

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

Why Did McLaren Stop Upgrades on The Current Car?

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

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 succeed, that advantage can continue for some time - look at the Red Bull team in 2022 and 2023, the most recent occasion the rules were modified.

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

They did continue to develop it for a while, but were finding reduced benefits. So when evaluating the value for money they were getting on their 2025 car compared to 2026, it became an straightforward decision to redirect attention to next year.

The Red Bull team have caught up since bringing their new underfloor and front wing at the Monza Grand Prix, but the McLaren car remains competitive - team boss Andrea Stella stated he believed Norris had the pace to challenge for the victory in Austin had he not ended up following Charles Leclerc.

"We just have to continue maximising the performance and continue delivering strong weekends. And from this perspective, if you think of a race like Baku, 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 result of this season and the driver's title is in our control. It's not in someone else's hands."

Team Changes: How Difficult Is It to Change Constructors?

Initially, it's uncertain the question has an completely accurate premise. It's correct that both Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz had somewhat difficult opening phases of the season, in varying manners, and that they are currently performing much better.

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

Hamilton has not beaten Leclerc very often at all this season, either in qualifying sessions or race.

He is currently significantly nearer than he was. He is regularly setting times within a few hundredths of a second of Leclerc, but in qualifying it's 4-2 to Charles Leclerc since the summer break.

This previous weekend in Texas, on one of Hamilton's preferred circuits, he was a second behind his teammate when the Monaco driver made his pit stop, and dropped 13 seconds over the remaining portion of the Grand Prix.

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

Each of Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz have discussed how challenging it is to switch teams, and we have to take them at their word.

Hamilton would not claim even currently that he was fully adapted to Ferrari - and he is expecting the new rules next season will benefit his driving style; he has never really enjoyed these venturi cars.

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

Fernando Alonso, for example, was on it from the beginning of the 2023 season when he transferred to Aston Martin. And would Verstappen struggle if he changed constructors? I suspect most in F1 would expect not.

When Will We Know Next Year's Team Performance?

Until the cars are driven for the initial time in pre-season testing next year, nobody will understand how the constructors are looking next year.

The first test, in Catalunya on 26-30 January, is private because the teams wanted to understand their first running of the new engines without the scrutiny of the press.

So the two tests in Sakhir on February 11-13 and February 18-20 will be the first time a certain sense of relative performance emerges.

But, as ever, it's not until the first race that the complete and precise situation will become clear.