Red Bull and McLaren are locked in a remarkably close battle for third place in the 2026 Formula 1 Constructors’ Championship, with both teams sitting on exactly 355 points ahead of the Mexico City Grand Prix. While Mercedes and Ferrari have established substantial advantages at the top of the standings, Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar are gaining momentum just as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri struggle to rediscover McLaren’s earlier competitiveness.
Only five Grands Prix remain in the 2026 season, and the championship picture is becoming increasingly clear. Andrea Kimi Antonelli appears almost certain to secure the Drivers’ Championship before the season finale, potentially as early as Sunday in Mexico, while Mercedes is similarly well placed to claim the Constructors’ title. However, the fight immediately behind Ferrari remains far from settled, with Red Bull and McLaren entering the closing stages of the campaign on equal points.
F1 2026 Constructors’ Championship: Red Bull and McLaren tied on 355 points
With the Mexican Grand Prix approaching, attention is naturally turning towards the final positions in both championship standings. In the Drivers’ Championship, the battle for second remains open between Ferrari teammates Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes driver George Russell and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
The Constructors’ Championship presents another intriguing contest. Mercedes leads with 607 points, followed by Ferrari on 474, while Red Bull and McLaren are tied for third with 355 points each. The two teams therefore enter the final five races separated by nothing in terms of points, despite experiencing very different performance trends in recent months.
The situation received relatively little attention during the United States Grand Prix in Austin, but it has significant implications for the final championship classification. The recent decline in McLaren’s results has allowed Red Bull to draw level, creating a direct battle between two teams whose competitiveness has developed in almost opposite directions.
Ferrari, meanwhile, appears relatively secure in second place, barring a significant change in results. Nevertheless, Red Bull’s recent improvement means that the possibility of closing the gap to the Italian team cannot be completely dismissed.
McLaren’s 2026 F1 decline: What happened to Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri?
McLaren has experienced a difficult period since its most recent Grand Prix victory, achieved by reigning world champion Lando Norris at Zandvoort. The Dutch Grand Prix had provided an encouraging demonstration of the MCL40’s potential, suggesting that the team could remain competitive during the second half of the season.
Following that victory, much of the paddock discussion focused on whether Lando Norris’s performances had been underestimated during the earlier stages of the championship. Despite a troubled start to 2026, McLaren was also considered a potential threat to Ferrari’s position in the Constructors’ standings.
However, the competitive picture has changed considerably since Zandvoort. The MCL40 has gradually lost ground to its rivals, while the team has struggled to maintain a consistent level of performance across different circuits.
Lando Norris also demonstrated strong pace throughout the Miami Grand Prix weekend, although victory narrowly escaped him. The more recent problem has been McLaren’s inability to build consistently on its strongest performances, particularly as rival teams have continued introducing improvements.
The upgrades introduced in Baku failed to deliver the expected recovery and instead appeared to make the situation more difficult. Finding the correct balance became increasingly complicated, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both making mistakes as they struggled to extract consistent performance from the car.
Those difficulties continued through the following races and remained evident in Austin, where both McLaren drivers acknowledged problems with their car’s competitiveness.
Why McLaren faces an uphill battle against Red Bull
McLaren’s recent performances have been mediocre compared with the expectations surrounding a reigning championship-winning team. Finishing fifth or sixth cannot automatically be described as a failure, but neither can such results be celebrated when the team is attempting to defend third place against an increasingly competitive Red Bull.
The central problem remains the behaviour of the MCL40. Neither Lando Norris nor Oscar Piastri appears fully confident in the car, and the difficulty of finding a satisfactory balance has become one of the defining characteristics of McLaren’s season.
Unless the team can address those weaknesses, holding off Red Bull could become increasingly challenging. The Mexico City Grand Prix is unlikely to offer an easy route back to the podium, with a top-three finish appearing difficult without retirements, unusual circumstances or a significant change in competitiveness.
The five remaining races will therefore test McLaren’s ability to recover from a difficult period. The team has demonstrated that the MCL40 can deliver competitive performances, but restoring that form consistently will be essential if it hopes to finish ahead of Red Bull.
Red Bull’s 2026 F1 recovery puts Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar in contention
Red Bull’s development trajectory has been almost the opposite of McLaren’s. The Austrian team began the season with a competitive package, but reliability problems repeatedly undermined its results, while the middle part of the championship proved particularly difficult against Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren.
Over the past five Grands Prix, however, Red Bull has returned to a more prominent position, collecting podium finishes and victories. The RB22 has improved substantially during the season, with weight reductions and continued technical development contributing to a stronger overall package.
The Red Bull-Ford V6 power unit has also demonstrated that it can compete effectively against its rivals. Although the programme has experienced reliability difficulties, its performance has helped the team close the gap to the leading constructors.
Max Verstappen has been central to that recovery, while Isack Hadjar has also contributed important performances. Their combined progress has transformed Red Bull from a team struggling to keep pace with the leading contenders into one with a realistic opportunity to secure third place.
Red Bull reliability problems remain a major concern
Despite its impressive progress, Red Bull continues to experience technical problems that complicate its attempts to maximise results. Reliability has remained an important concern, preventing the team from consistently converting its improved performance into championship points.
Max Verstappen has experienced radio communication problems during two consecutive races, while Isack Hadjar was forced to complete more than half of the previous Grand Prix with throttle-related difficulties. The latter issue restricted the French driver’s performance at a time when Red Bull needed both cars to deliver strong results.
The Dutchman has also discussed the engine problems encountered by Red Bull following his Austin podium, illustrating why reliability remains such an important factor in the team’s championship ambitions.
If these recurring technical issues can be eliminated, Red Bull would appear to be in an excellent position to finish third. Both Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar have demonstrated strong pace and remain determined to recover the points lost during the more difficult middle stages of the season.
The challenge now is to maintain that momentum without suffering further interruptions. With McLaren continuing to struggle, the opportunity is significant, but Red Bull must still convert its recent technical improvements into consistent results.
Could Red Bull challenge Ferrari for second place in the F1 Constructors’ Championship?
The Mexico City Grand Prix could provide another important indication of Red Bull’s potential during the final races. The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is among Max Verstappen’s preferred circuits, and the Dutchman’s experience at the venue could prove valuable as the team attempts to continue its recovery.
The Mexican circuit also presents distinctive technical demands. Its considerable altitude and long main straight place significant emphasis on internal combustion engine performance, while the reduced air density creates additional challenges for the power unit.
Both Red Bull and Racing Bulls are understood to use some of the largest turbochargers on the Formula 1 grid, a characteristic that could be relevant to performance at Mexico City’s altitude.
Ferrari must also evaluate how its car performs under these conditions. The Italian team’s preparations have included particular attention to the cooling and grip challenges identified by Fred Vasseur ahead of the Mexican Grand Prix.
Red Bull currently trails Ferrari by 119 points, making second place a considerably more ambitious target than defeating McLaren. Nevertheless, if the Austrian team’s upward trend continues and its reliability improves, reducing that deficit remains a possibility.
For now, the immediate contest is the battle for third. Red Bull and McLaren begin the final five races level on 355 points, but their contrasting recent performances suggest that momentum currently favours Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar. Whether Red Bull can turn that advantage into a higher championship position will depend on maintaining its speed and avoiding the technical problems that have repeatedly interrupted its recovery.
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