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Sky Sports Formula 1 lead commentator David Croft believes McLaren’s recent upgrade package has positioned the team to mount a genuine challenge against championship leader Mercedes over the remainder of the 2026 season.
McLaren arrived at the Hungarian Grand Prix seeking to close the gap to the Brackley outfit following a demanding opening half of the season. Lando Norris subsequently delivered his first grand prix victory as the reigning champion.
Speaking on the Sky Sports F1 Show, Croft praised the Woking outfit for successfully introducing upgrades that unlocked genuine pace, allowing it to turn the tables on its power unit supplier.
“We’re 11 races into the season now, and McLaren are understanding the power unit way better than they were at the start of the year,” Croft said. “Is it a surprise they did so well in Hungary? On past form, no. They were 1-2 for the last two years in Budapest. But it is a little surprise given how strong Mercedes were in Monaco.
“That might be driver-specific in that respect, and it might just be that Kimi [Antonelli] was exceptional that weekend, but I don’t think the Mercedes is necessarily weak at a track like Budapest.
“What delighted me in terms of stronger competition to the championship leaders, and we want to see this championship go right to the wire because that’s way more fun, was that McLaren’s upgrade worked.
“They’ve taken their time this year to play catch-up, but they are now catching up, and the signs were there right from the start as Lando built up the pace into the weekend, that this was a good upgrade. They had the pace, and they were ready to challenge Mercedes.”
Lando Norris, McLaren
Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
Norris currently sits fifth in the drivers’ standings with 128 points, 91 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli. Croft argued that the Briton could still pose a threat to the title.
“McLaren have got to find every way to maximise every advantage and for me, one of the big things coming out of the summer break is, can McLaren carry this on?” Croft added.
“Are they going to put their eggs in the Lando Norris basket? Is it going to come up trumps once again in the constructors’ championship?
“I think it is still very much up for grabs, the drivers’ championship. I don’t think Lando is so far behind that he can’t make up a deficit.”
