David Croft, chief commentator for Sky Sports Formula 1, stated that McLaren’s latest upgrade package has placed the team in a favorable position to compete with Mercedes for the rest of the 2026 season.
Arriving at the Hungarian Grand Prix, McLaren sought to close the gap to the Brackley team after a tough first half of the season. In this context, Lando Norris achieved his first victory in a Grand Prix as defending champion.
On the _Sky Sports F1 Show_, Croft praised the Woking team for introducing improvements that have unlocked true pace, thus overturning expectations against their power unit supplier.
“We have already raced 11 times this season, and McLaren is understanding the power unit better than at the beginning of the year,” Croft said. “It’s not surprising that they did so well in Hungary; they have been first and second the last two seasons in Budapest. But it is a bit surprising, considering the strength Mercedes had shown in Monaco.”
Currently, Norris is in fifth place in the drivers’ standings with 128 points, 91 points behind leader Kimi Antonelli. Croft believes that the Brit could still pose a title threat.
“McLaren needs to find ways to optimize every advantage, and for me, one of the big questions that arise from the summer break is whether they can maintain this trend,” Croft added. “Perhaps they should bet on Lando Norris’s side. The drivers’ championship is still very much within reach, and I don’t think Lando is too far away to recover.”
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
