McLaren’s defence of its constructors’ championship has been anything but smooth.
After a dominant 2025, the MCL40 has struggled to match Mercedes and Ferrari, with reliability disasters compounding the pain.
A double non-start in China, Oscar Piastri’s crash on the way to the grid in Melbourne and a disastrous Canadian Grand Prix weekend left Andrea Stella’s team haemorrhaging points.
Even when the car ran cleanly, a deficit of up to a second per lap to Mercedes underlined just how far the reigning champions had fallen.
Hungary, however, offered a glimmer of hope. A significant upgrade package centred on a new floor transformed the MCL40, delivering pole position and a dominant victory for Lando Norris, his first win of 2026.
McLaren sit third in the standings, 159 points behind Mercedes, but the momentum has shifted.
So, can they claw their way back into contention? Cast your vote in the poll below.