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Do McLaren Accept Reality of F1 - That if You Want Win, You Can't Always Play Fair?

McLaren are well aware of the obstacle they encounter with Verstappen and Red Bull in the championship battle this year, but they see no reason to alter their approach to managing the team.

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

"This represents the manner we plan racing. This is the method in which we tackle competition, and we want to stay equitable, and we want to apply equality to our drivers."

Team boss Stella is a seasoned expert of numerous championship fights. He claimed the title as engineer to Kimi Raikkonen in 2007 when the Ferrari driver recovered 17 points under the old scoring system in two races to secure the championship, while McLaren collapsed.

And he lost the title as engineer to Fernando Alonso in the 2010 season, when the Ferrari team messed up their race strategy at the last Grand Prix of the championship and allowed Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull to sneak the title from under their noses.

Andrea Stella commented after the race in Austin: "We view the remaining five Grands Prix as opportunities to extend the lead on Max. And when it involves having to make a call as to a team driver, this will exclusively be determined by mathematics."

"We rely on the experience. I can recall at least 2007, 2010, in which you reach the final Grand Prix and it's actually 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 This Year's Car?

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

In F1, it's typically the case that if a constructor makes mistakes at the start of a new rules cycle, it can take a considerable period to catch up. And if they succeed, that advantage can continue for some time - consider the Red Bull team in 2022 and 2023, the most recent occasion the regulations were modified.

The McLaren team began this year with the best 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 the 2026 car, it became an easy choice to switch focus to next year.

Red Bull have closed the gap since introducing their new floor and nose section at the Italian Grand Prix, but the McLaren remains competitive - team principal Stella stated he believed Lando Norris had the speed to compete for the victory in Austin had he not finished following Charles Leclerc.

"We just have to continue optimising the car performance and keep delivering good weekends. And from this perspective, if you think of a Grand Prix like Baku, we failed to optimize the performance and we didn't deliver a flawless performance."

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

Team Changes: How Difficult Is It to Change Constructors?

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

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

Hamilton has not beaten Charles Leclerc frequently at all this season, either in qualifying 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 it's 4-2 to Charles Leclerc since the summer break.

This previous weekend in Austin, on one of Lewis Hamilton's favourite tracks, he was a second behind his teammate when the Monaco driver completed his pit stop, and lost thirteen seconds over the rest of the race.

Looking back, Leclerc was on the best race strategy. Nevertheless, over the season, and even currently, it's hard to argue that on balance Charles Leclerc has not been the better Ferrari racer this season.

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

Hamilton would not say even now that he was completely adjusted to the Ferrari car - and he is hoping the new rules next season will benefit his driving style; he has never really enjoyed these venturi cars.

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

Alonso, for instance, was on it from the start of the 2023 when he moved to Aston Martin. And would Max Verstappen struggle if he switched teams? I suspect the majority in F1 would anticipate he wouldn't.

When Will We Know Next Year's Competitive Order?

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

The initial session, in Barcelona on January 26-30, is private because the teams 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 relative performance emerges.

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