McLaren have won 11 of 14 races, racked up seven 1-2 finishes, claimed eight pole positions and have expertly managed a potentially fractious intra-team rivalry between championship protagonists Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

With wholesale regulation changes sweeping into the sport in 2026, having more wind tunnel time could be the difference between just winning a few races and championship success, as the teams scramble to improve their initial packages after the first race of 2026.

Hamilton has endured a difficult 18 months, particularly in qualifying. The Independent crunches the lap times