Chandhok: McLaren Must Shift Focus to 2027 After Development Struggles

McLaren's reign as Formula 1's dominant force has crumbled in 2026, with former driver Karun Chandhok urging the team to abandon its championship defence and shift focus entirely to 2027. After entering the season as back-to-back constructors' champions with Lando Norris carrying the drivers' crown, the Woking squad has slipped into distant third, unable to match the development pace of Mercedes and Ferrari.

Why it matters:

McLaren spent years climbing to the summit of F1, but Chandhok warns that clinging to a lost 2026 campaign could squander that hard-won momentum. With Norris admitting the title is out of reach and the car falling 15 to 20 seconds off the lead, the team faces a stark choice between pouring resources into a fading project or investing in a genuine rebound next season.

The details:

• Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Show, Chandhok said Norris accepts that "the championship defence is not on this year," with the gap to points leader Kimi Antonelli now insurmountable.
• McLaren's upgrade trajectory has stalled since Miami, where it fought for victory. Chandhok argues the team "hasn't managed to keep up the development battle," leaving it stranded well adrift of the leaders.
• McLaren sits third with 195 points, 90 behind Ferrari and 163 adrift of Mercedes.
• Norris is fifth on 103 points and Oscar Piastri sixth on 92, while Antonelli leads with 204, more than double Piastri's tally.

What's next:

Chandhok insists Zak Brown's squad must treat the remainder of the season as a building block for 2027, targeting sporadic wins while gathering crucial data. Banking knowledge now is the only realistic path to ensuring McLaren hits the ground running when the next championship fight begins.