McLaren faced the challenge over following up its back-to-back world titles across an entirely different set of regulations. On paper, it felt like the Woking-based squad was well equipped to do so, but a combination of its 2025 title race hangover and its challenges exploiting Mercedes' power unit have put it on the back foot this year. But a typical, mid-season McLaren surge has salvaged a B- ...<a class='more' href='https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-2026-mid-season-grades-mclaren-starts-on-the-back-foot-but-makes-rapid-progress/10846244/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=RSS-F1&utm_term=News&utm_content=www'>Keep reading</a>