McLaren F1: third in the standings, but the Norris-Piastri split is the real story
McLaren F1 sits third in the 2026 constructors’ standings on 263 points, still chasing Mercedes and Ferrari for best-of-the-rest, while Lando Norris leads Oscar Piastri by 55 points inside the team. Monza is the first proper test of whether the long-awaited Hungary upgrade can change the shape of McLaren’s season.
McLaren’s standings picture
The headline numbers are clear. McLaren is third on 263 points, Mercedes leads the constructors’ table on 425, and Ferrari is second on 338.
That leaves McLaren 162 points off Mercedes and 75 behind Ferrari. It also means the team’s live story is no longer just its place in the table, but the gap between its two drivers.
| Category | Position | Name | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constructors | 3rd | McLaren | 263 | 2 |
| Drivers | 4th | Lando Norris | 159 | 2 |
| Drivers | 7th | Oscar Piastri | 104 | 0 |
Norris has both of McLaren’s two wins in 2026, and he is the team’s points leader on 159. Piastri sits seventh in the drivers’ standings on 104 points, which leaves the pair separated by 55 points.
That internal split now matters as much as the constructors chase. McLaren is still in the fight for best-of-the-rest, but the team’s scoring has been driven more by Norris than by a balanced two-car haul.
| Team | Points | Gap to McLaren |
|---|---|---|
| Mercedes | 425 | +162 |
| Ferrari | 338 | +75 |
| McLaren | 263 | 0 |
Why Monza matters after Hungary
Motorsport.com reports that McLaren is bringing a long-awaited upgrade package to the Hungarian Grand Prix and will trial its upside-down “Macarena” rear wing there. That makes Hungary the immediate variable, with Monza the next checkpoint for whether the package has changed McLaren’s direction.
Motorsport.com also reports Andrea Stella’s view that Ferrari now has the best car in Formula 1 after Lewis Hamilton’s Barcelona win for Ferrari. For McLaren, that sharpens the scale of the task: the team is already 75 points behind Ferrari, so any move forward has to show up quickly.
The timing is tight. The Italian Grand Prix is Round 13, scheduled for 2026-09-06 at 13:00:00Z at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza in Monza, Italy.
| Round | Grand Prix | Date | Time (UTC) | Circuit | City | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Italian Grand Prix | 2026-09-06 | 13:00:00Z | Autodromo Nazionale di Monza | Monza | Italy |
That is why Monza feels like a live read on McLaren’s season rather than just another stop. The team does not need a full reset to change the picture, but it does need the Hungary upgrade to translate into more balanced scoring from both cars and a real push at the 75-point gap to Ferrari.
The McLaren question now
The answer on McLaren F1 is simple enough. Third place is secure for now, but the team’s 2026 story is the Norris-Piastri split, the two-win total, and whether the Hungary package can help close the gap to Ferrari.
Monza will not settle the season, but it should tell us whether McLaren’s next step is real. If the upgrade works, the team can start turning a points gap into a fight. If it does not, the split between Norris and Piastri may remain the clearest measure of McLaren’s year.
Key takeaway: McLaren arrives at Monza third on 263 points, 75 behind Ferrari and 162 behind Mercedes, with Norris ahead of Piastri by 55 points and the Hungary upgrade now under the spotlight.