The 2026 Formula 1 season has proven to be a complex journey for McLaren following their championship success in the previous year with Lando Norris. The introduction of sweeping new technical regulations for the current campaign has prevented the Woking-based outfit from immediately repeating their dominant form.
Throughout the ongoing season, the papaya squad has secured two Grand Prix victories, both courtesy of Norris in Hungary and the Netherlands. Combined with contributions from teammate Oscar Piastri, the team has accumulated a further five Grand Prix podium finishes, a Sprint Race win, and four Sprint Race podium appearances.
Despite these achievements, the primary concern lies in the drivers' standings, where both McLaren pilots sit sixth and seventh respectively. They currently trail behind the primary contenders driving for Mercedes and Ferrari, alongside the leading challenger from Red Bull.
The Constructors' Championship battle is equally tense as the season enters its final stretch. McLaren holds third place in the standings, but their advantage has been slashed to a mere six points ahead of Red Bull following the grueling weekend at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
With only six race weekends remaining on the 2026 calendar, Norris delivered a blunt assessment of his team's current competitive standing. The 2025 world champion conceded that McLaren is effectively operating as the weakest link among the elite quartet of top-tier teams.
Norris believes the team's current pace reflects a regression closer to their performance level at the start of the year. Compounding the issue, the factory in Woking currently has no major upgrade packages scheduled for immediate delivery to fend off the charging Red Bull squad.
When speaking to Sky Sports regarding whether McLaren can fend off Red Bull, Norris stated that they cannot do so without upgrades, noting an absence of new parts for the immediate future.
At the minute, we're fourth fastest. We're back to the back of the top group, which is closer to where we were at the beginning of the year. And we can still fight pretty well, Norris explained.
We're still fighting for top four and almost for a podium, but, we're still too far off. And we're the worst of the top four teams. So, we have to just keep trying to upgrade the car, that's all, he added.
McLaren also drew heavy attention during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend due to a dramatic final-lap collision between teammates during the Sprint Race. The incident severely limited their points haul, leaving Norris to salvage a single point with an eighth-place finish after previously running comfortably inside the top five.
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