McLaren destroy F1 rivals but future domination faces Herculean test

McLaren's dominant 2025 campaign was one of the most comprehensive championship victories in recent F1 history, rivalling Red Bull from two years earlier.

The Woking-based team retained the constructors' title emphatically, in Singapore, with six rounds left to run.

The drivers' crown was more difficult to come by, thanks to the valiant efforts of the now-dethroned Max Verstappen, with the Dutchman keeping the championship fight alive — against all odds — until the season finale.

McLaren's year concluded with 833 points; 364 clear of second-place Mercedes, 14 victories, and an unprecedented 34 podiums, surpassing the Silver Arrows' mark of 33 from 2019.

At the heart of this success stood the remarkable driver pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

The former claimed his maiden drivers' championship with 423 points, showcasing the maturation of a talent that has long promised greatness, prevailing in a season-long intra-team battle with the latter — and later Verstappen.

The British driver's seven victories included signature wins at Monaco and the British Grand Prix, with his transformation from perennial podium contender to champion reflecting years of incremental improvement finally bearing fruit.

His ability to convert pole positions into victories became a defining characteristic of the season, while his resilience under pressure during the Abu Dhabi finale, where he secured the title by just two points, demonstrated championship-calibre composure.

Equally impressive was Piastri's emergence as a genuine race-winning force, matching his team-mate's victory tally with seven wins of his own.

The Australian's eight consecutive podiums during the season's opening stages placed him alongside Ayrton Senna and Lewis Hamilton in McLaren's history books, whilst his four wins from the opening six rounds established him as more than capable of fighting at the front.

Whilst his capitulation over the run-in saw him fall painfully short of the crown, having led the way for much of the campaign, the 24-year-old's development trajectory means he will remain a championship contender for years to come, so long as McLaren can continue delivering cars worthy of his talent.

All the pieces, but will they fall into place?

With the 2025 season now concluded, McLaren's entire strategic compass has turned toward 2026 — and the mammoth technical reset that comes with it.

The bold decision to halt MCL39 development early and pour all resources into next year's car means it should be in a good position from the perspective of the chassis regulations, but there is also a premium placed on two other crucial elements: how well Mercedes delivers its new power unit and how the team manages its unique driver situation.

McLaren secured a long-term extension with Mercedes through to 2030, making it the first customer partner locked in ahead of the new era. That certainty allowed the engineering focus to pivot almost exclusively toward the dramatic aerodynamic and chassis changes mandated for 2026

That focus is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it liberates McLaren’s technical department to prioritise mastering the new aero landscape rather than chasing marginal gains on a spent 2025 design.

On the other hand, it leaves the team heavily reliant on the competitiveness of Mercedes' new hybrid-heavy power unit.

If the Silver Arrows deliver a potent, well-integrated package, McLaren stands to benefit; if Mercedes struggles under the new rules, McLaren could find itself fighting an uphill battle despite its aerodynamic work.

Off track, McLaren enters this new chapter with arguably the sport’s strongest driver pairing. The pair are the cornerstone of its team-first approach.

Rather than designate a clear No. 1 and No. 2 next year, McLaren will continue to let both drivers race freely, as it did throughout the 2025 campaign, even when it was almost to its detriment.

That approach capitalises on the strength of having two elite talents, but it also requires careful personnel and strategic management. It threatened to spill over this year. Will McLaren be able to keep both Norris and Piastri happy long term?

In short, McLaren's 2026 blueprint rests on its aerodynamic ingenuity, its Mercedes power unit partnership and the delicate balance of its two championship-calibre drivers.

The technical reset erases much of the momentum it built in 2025, but with stability in key areas and world-class talent in the cockpit, McLaren has positioned itself to remain at the sharp end — provided all pieces fall into place.