How Red Bull can pass McLaren in the standings at the US Grand Prix

Red Bull has a chance to move ahead of McLaren in the constructors’ standings at the 2026 United States Grand Prix, but the numbers leave little room for error. McLaren leads with 339 points after 17 races; Red Bull has 332.

The gap has narrowed after Max Verstappen won in Sepang and Singapore. Red Bull outscored McLaren 35-10 in Malaysia and 34-23 in Singapore. There is no Sprint in Austin, leaving a maximum of 43 points available across the weekend. For details on following the event, see our guide to watching the United States Grand Prix in the US.

Red Bull needs an eight-point swing to take third

Red Bull must score at least eight points more than McLaren to move ahead outright. A seven-point gain would leave the teams level, with the tie decided by their best results. Both have won two grands prix this season.

The clearest route depends on Verstappen’s finish and how much support he gets from Isack Hadjar. If Verstappen wins and Hadjar scores nothing, McLaren can earn no more than 17 points. A third-place finish for Lando Norris and ninth for Oscar Piastri would still leave Red Bull one point ahead. If one McLaren finishes second and the other fails to score, the teams would be level.

A Verstappen second-place finish with Hadjar outside the points cuts McLaren’s maximum to 10 points: one McLaren fifth and the other outside the top 10. If Verstappen is third, McLaren must score seven points or fewer. A seventh and 10th would meet that limit.

Hadjar’s points could widen Red Bull’s margin

If both McLarens finish outside the points, Red Bull needs only eight points from either driver. That is the total awarded for sixth place.

Every point Hadjar scores raises the maximum McLaren can earn by one. For example, Verstappen winning and Hadjar finishing fifth would give Red Bull 35 points. Norris second and Piastri sixth would bring McLaren 26, still enough for Red Bull to go ahead.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella played down the threat, describing the season’s performance swings as “ping-pong” and saying upgrades could add three tenths of a second. Norris has called the MCL40 “mentally exhausting” to drive, while Stella has said its underlying problems will not be resolved until the 2027 car.

Verstappen, meanwhile, said he would take the season “race by race” rather than declare himself in the fight at Austin. His recent form includes two successive wins, as covered in our report on Red Bull’s first 2026 victory with its own power unit.