mclaren mercedes f1: where the late-season fight really stands
Formula1.com’s live standings still show Mercedes on 538 points after 15 rounds, Ferrari on 378, and McLaren on 306. That leaves McLaren third, 72 points behind Ferrari and 232 behind Mercedes, so the mclaren mercedes f1 story is not a title chase yet — it is whether McLaren can turn its upgrades into a real run at Mercedes, not just a fight to stay ahead of the teams behind.
That is why the conversation has sharpened. Otmar Szafnauer has said McLaren will establish itself as Mercedes’ main rival by the end of the 2026 season, while Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft has said McLaren’s recent upgrade package has positioned the team to challenge Mercedes over the rest of the year.
Where the table stands
Formula1.com’s live constructors table puts Mercedes first on 538 points and 11 wins, Ferrari second on 378 points, and McLaren third on 306 points and 2 wins.
| Team | Points | Wins | Position | Gap to Mercedes | Gap to Next Team Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes | 538 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ferrari | 378 | — | 2 | 160 | 0 |
| McLaren | 306 | 2 | 3 | 232 | 72 |
Ferrari is still the immediate target for McLaren. Formula1.com’s standings leave McLaren 72 points behind Ferrari, while Mercedes is 232 points clear at the top.
Mercedes’ edge is not just on points. Formula1.com’s live table also shows the team with 11 wins, which is why McLaren’s upgrade story still needs a lot more before it becomes a genuine Mercedes chase.
Why Ferrari is still the first target
The numbers still point McLaren toward Ferrari before Mercedes. Formula1.com’s live standings show McLaren third on 306 points, with Ferrari second on 378, so the gap to Ferrari is far smaller than the 232-point gap to Mercedes.
The driver split backs that up. Formula1.com lists Lando Norris fourth in the drivers’ standings on 186 points with 2 wins, and Oscar Piastri seventh on 120 points with 0 wins. Norris has scored both of McLaren’s wins, so McLaren needs more from both cars if it is going to move past Ferrari first.
What the upgrades change
The upgrade timeline is what has made this a live late-season check. Motorsport.com reported that Mercedes brought its first major 2026 upgrade package to the Canadian Grand Prix, while McLaren launched the second stage of its two-part upgrade plan there.
That does not close the gap on its own, but it explains the shift in tone. Croft’s Sky Sports F1 view is that McLaren is ready to challenge Mercedes over the rest of the season, while Szafnauer has put McLaren on a path to become Mercedes’ main rival by year-end.
Formula1.com lists Round 16, the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, for October 4, 2026 at 07:00:00Z at Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur. That is the next checkpoint for seeing whether the upgrade talk starts to show up in the standings.
Why Mercedes still has the edge
Formula1.com’s live drivers’ standings still show Mercedes with the strongest balance at the top. Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the table on 302 points with 8 wins, and George Russell is second on 236 points with 3 wins.
McLaren’s split is much less even. Formula1.com shows Norris on 186 points, which is 60.8% of McLaren’s total, while Piastri is on 120 points, or 39.2%, with no wins.
| Team | Driver | Driver Position | Points | Wins | Share of Team Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercedes | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | 1 | 302 | 8 | 56.1% |
| Mercedes | George Russell | 2 | 236 | 3 | 43.9% |
| McLaren | Lando Norris | 4 | 186 | 2 | 60.8% |
| McLaren | Oscar Piastri | 7 | 120 | 0 | 39.2% |
That is the real divider in the mclaren mercedes f1 debate. McLaren is still chasing Ferrari first, but Mercedes remains the benchmark because it has the points lead, the win count, and the first- and second-placed drivers.