McLaren team boss Andrea Stella believes Ferrari and Mercedes are “a step ahead” following F1’s final pre-season test for 2026 last week.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed an impressive final day, topping the timesheets by more than eight tenths of a second over Lando Norris and running a strong race simulation in the heat of the day.
Despite ticking all the test boxes ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1, Stella believes McLaren are not “that far” behind the top two teams.
Asked about the pecking order, he said: “It’s very difficult to say. I think the race simulation I did on Thursday was probably between Oscar (Piastri) and (Max) Verstappen. It happened at a similar time of the day and at a similar pace.”
“Race sims are often where you can see more accurately how the car actually performs. Why you have to be careful, because depending on the time of day, race sims can be a lot faster.”
“Just like Lando now (on the final day), he had a pretty strong performance in the race simulation, but at the same time, the end of the third day was probably his fastest time on the six-day course. So it’s difficult (to say). I think McLaren and Red Bull are probably very similar. Ferrari and Mercedes are a step ahead.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Hear from George Russell, Oscar Piastri and many more after the third and final day of the second Test in Bahrain
Stellar: Australia will pose ‘harder’ deployment challenges
The top four teams appear to be close enough that the standings are likely to change on different tracks and conditions, depending on each car’s strengths.
Red Bull is better at testing deployment efficiency, which means more electrical energy can be used for longer. This is especially valuable for trucks with modest braking zones, since the 2026 vehicle collects electrical energy when the driver is not pressing the throttle pedal.
Stella pointed out that the Bahrain International Circuit has more braking zones than Australia’s Albert Park, so the testing order could change already in the first race.
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Check out the highlights from day 3 of the 2nd Bahrain Pre-season Test.
“I think in 2026 we will have to look at the characteristics of the circuit, including this feature as it relates to ease as a circuit to meet power unit requirements,” he said.
“So Barcelona was actually relatively tough in terms of the balance between deployment and harvest. In Bahrain it was relatively easy because we spend enough time braking and basically do all the harvest braking. We don’t have to do anything special in terms of liftoff, for example, to add time to harvest the power unit.”
“Now we’re going to Australia. In Australia we’re back on a circuit that’s a little more difficult. So it’s going to be a little more difficult in Australia. The drivers are going to be busier in terms of driving style to make sure they utilize the power unit in terms of collecting energy and deploying energy in an efficient way. And when we say efficient, we mean efficient over a long period of time.”
Use Chrome Browser for a more accessible video player
Lando Norris says his McLaren team needs further improvements to its car if it is to challenge for the world title again this season
McLaren is a Mercedes customer team, as they use Mercedes engines, but Mercedes’ engine department will be working with Mercedes’ chassis and aerodynamics departments, which naturally puts them at a slight disadvantage.
Stellar said there was a “very strong working relationship” with Mercedes’ engine team, but said this was an area where McLaren could improve to optimize its use of the power unit.
“We are very grateful for the efforts HPP has made to ensure progress every day,” said the Italian.
“But I think there is still a lot to learn and work to do in terms of engine control, power unit control and power unit utilization.”
He added: “One of the things we had to learn is how to use the features available in the power unit and what new features need to be available under the control of the driver so that the power unit is competitive not only from a lap time perspective, but also from a raceability perspective, such as when you have to compete with rivals on the circuit.”
Watch every race of the 2026 F1 season live on Sky Sports, including the Australian Grand Prix from March 6-8. Stream Sky Sports now – cancel anytime with no contract
