Andrea Stella, the principal of McLaren Racing, stated that many apprehensions that teams held prior to the Barcelona shakedown dissipated quickly.
From January 26 to 30, all teams except Williams participated in private testing sessions in preparation for the 2026 season, which introduces a fresh set of regulations. Despite initial worries regarding reliability, these concerns were swiftly resolved.
“Overall, I believe the teams have demonstrated a strong level of readiness for the introduction of the new generation of cars,” the team leader remarked in a recent interview.
He added, “Those who were anxious about a repeat of the issues faced twelve years ago during the launch of hybrid power units saw those fears fade away remarkably quickly. In terms of the power units, even those who debuted their engines on the track managed to log a significant number of kilometers.”
Stella continued, “In fact, the reliability challenges that hindered our progress on the track were primarily linked to the overwhelming complexity of the 2026 vehicle systems. I want to commend our team for their extraordinary dedication, working tirelessly day and night to help us nearly recover the time lost at the outset.”
He noted, “It felt reminiscent of previous years, when the inaugural winter tests often extended into the early hours. However, I am confident that as the teams become more familiar with the cars, things will stabilize.”
McLaren is set to reveal its 2026 Formula 1 livery in Bahrain on February 9, before engaging in pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit from February 11 to 13 and again from February 18 to 20. The racing season will kick off with the Australian Grand Prix from March 6 to 8.
