After winning the Constructors’ Championship in both 2024 and 2025, McLaren has found itself struggling under Formula 1’s new regulations. The MCL40 has failed to deliver the level of performance the team expected, and the glory days of the previous two seasons already feel like a distant memory.
The car’s lack of competitiveness is only part of the problem. McLaren must also deal with rapidly improving rivals and increasingly persistent paddock rumours suggesting a potential driver market shake-up involving Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen ahead of the 2027 season.
The more attention a team attracts, the greater the scrutiny on every aspect of its work—especially when one of its cars carries Formula 1’s number one. Lando Norris enters every weekend with one objective: to win. Unlike many of its rivals, however, McLaren’s challenge is not simply to become champions, but to reclaim its position at the very top after losing its status as the benchmark team.
History has shown that returning to the summit after a difficult period requires patience, a clear strategy and, at times, a little luck.
McLaren’s two biggest challenges in 2026: stronger rivals and growing rumours
Compared to 2025, the Formula 1 grid has become considerably more competitive, particularly among the four leading teams: Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull and McLaren. Last season, Max Verstappen was almost the only driver capable of disrupting McLaren’s dominance, thanks to a remarkable late-season comeback.
The Woking-based team secured the Constructors’ Championship well before the end of the campaign, highlighting just how competitive both the car and its driver line-up had become. The picture is very different in 2026. Mercedes has emerged as the team to beat, Ferrari has taken a significant step forward compared to last year, and although Red Bull continues to struggle with its lead driver, it has finally unlocked the potential of its second seat, now occupied by Isack Hadjar.
With the leading teams separated by much smaller margins, securing strong results has become significantly more difficult.
The situation is made even more complicated by reliability issues, which affected McLaren throughout the opening races of the 2026 season. New technical regulations inevitably bring unexpected problems, but seeing a Haas complete more total race laps than a McLaren after nine Grands Prix has raised serious concerns inside the Woking garage.
That is one of the reasons why so much recent speculation has focused on McLaren. Oscar Piastri is reportedly considering a change of scenery following the controversial “papaya rules” of the previous two seasons and a disappointing start to the current campaign. Given the well-known performance clause in Max Verstappen’s Red Bull contract, rumours of a possible driver swap between the two have only intensified.
Signing Max Verstappen would undoubtedly be a huge statement for McLaren from both a sporting and commercial perspective, but there is no guarantee that such a move alone would solve the team’s current problems.
Can McLaren bounce back through development?
For McLaren to return to the front of the grid, the team first needs stability. Once the driver market speculation has been resolved—regardless of the outcome—the full focus will have to shift towards developing the current car while also preparing the all-important 2027 project.
McLaren still has the same driver line-up that dominated much of last season, and there is no question that the team possesses the resources, technical expertise and infrastructure required to fight for championships.
What McLaren needs most is exactly what Lando Norris spoke about ahead of the British Grand Prix: confidence in the team. The British driver reminded everyone that this group has already shown it can outperform every rival on the grid. If McLaren can rediscover that belief and continue developing the MCL40, its return to the front may simply be a matter of time.
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