Former Formula 1 driver Karun Chandhok has warned that McLaren has slipped behind the 2026 development race and must refocus on 2027 to reclaim championship parity.
Chandhok voiced his concerns during the Sky Sports F1 Show, noting that McLaren entered the new regulatory era as back‑to‑back constructors’ champions while Lando Norris held the drivers’ title. Yet the Woking outfit’s performance this season shows it has dropped into the mid‑field, failing to challenge for points at the front.
McLaren’s 2026 slide
At the Miami Grand Prix, McLaren afforded a genuine fight for victory, leaving the title’s first race with tangible hope. Since that moment, the team’s upgrade programmes have failed to deliver the gains that once defined the brand’s competitive edge. “They haven’t managed to keep up the development battle,” Chandhok said, adding that the car now trails the leaders by 15–20 seconds.
Development struggles spotlight
McLaren sits third in the constructors’ championship with 195 points, 90 points adrift of Ferrari and 163 behind Mercedes. Norris and Oscar Piastri occupy fifth and sixth in the drivers’ standings with 103 and 92 points, while Kimi Antonelli stands atop the leaderboard with 204 points. The chasm between McLaren and the title contenders illustrates the impact of the recent upgrades’ underperformance.
Future focus on 2027
Chandhok insists that, instead of chasing immediate podiums, Zak Brown’s camp should use the remaining race calendar to accumulate knowledge that will launch McLaren into 2027 “on the front foot.” “That’s not where McLaren would want to be as double constructors’ world champion,” he added, advocating a strategic pivot toward long‑term gains. The next season will be the crucible for measuring whether the team can recalibrate its engineering strategy and return to the front of the grid.
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