McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has conceded the team has fallen behind rivals Ferrari and Mercedes in the early stages of the 2026 Formula 1 season, despite strong initial showings during pre-season testing in Bahrain. The admission comes as the team prepares for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
Entering the 2026 season, McLaren aimed to continue its recent success, having secured consecutive Constructors’ Championships in 2024 and 2025, with Lando Norris claiming the drivers’ title last year. However, the introduction of a new generation of cars, representing a significant departure from the previous ground effect regulations, has presented a considerable challenge.
While initial pace assessments during the Bahrain tests suggested McLaren remained competitive, with both Norris and Oscar Piastri appearing prominently on the timesheets and the MCL40 demonstrating effective energy management, Stella has now cautioned against reading too much into those early results.
“Very difficult to say,” Stella responded when questioned about McLaren’s position relative to Mercedes and Ferrari, according to Motorsport Week. He referenced a race simulation involving Norris, Piastri, and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, noting a comparable pace between the McLaren drivers and the reigning champion. “Often, the race simulation is actually where you can more accurately see what the genuine performance of cars is.”
Stella highlighted the variability of track conditions throughout the test, suggesting that race simulations conducted later in the day may have been artificially faster. He pointed to Lando Norris’ strong performance in a late-session simulation coinciding with the fastest lap times of the entire six-day test. “I think McLaren and Red Bull are probably very similar. Ferrari and Mercedes are a step ahead,” Stella stated.
With limited time remaining before the Australian Grand Prix, McLaren has confirmed that no major changes to the MCL40 are planned. “In terms of car specification, what we have seen here at the test is fundamentally the car that we will see in Australia,” Stella explained. However, the team is working to refine the car’s weight, aiming to operate below the minimum weight limit to allow for greater flexibility with ballast distribution. “Certainly working on reducing the weight of the car is always a development item because even if you are at the weight limit, you wish to be actually under the weight limit because then you can play with ballast,” he said.
The team is also addressing safety concerns related to the new 2026 regulations. McLaren has proposed rule changes to the FIA, the sport’s governing body, to address these concerns before the season-opener, according to reports from ESPN and The Race. The specific nature of these proposed changes has not been disclosed, but they underscore the team’s commitment to ensuring driver safety as the new era of Formula 1 begins.
