Andrea Stella says that the Barcelona test indicated that McLaren faces stiff competition in 2026: "In terms of performance, it is obviously very difficult to give an objective assessment, as we do not know the other teams' work programmes, fuel levels or work schedules. That said, it is clear that there are at least three competitors – Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull – who have all got off to a good start. In particular, the Brackley team has definitely raised the bar, and we will have to work hard to do the same. The fact that the three teams I mentioned are equipped with three different power units is a first indication that there may not be extremely marked differences in terms of absolute performance, at least as far as some of the PU suppliers are concerned."
Zak Brown on the Barcelona Shakedown:
: “Can you make any observations on the Formula 1 packing order based on the limited stuff you saw at the closed test?”
Zak Brown: “It looks like the big 4 are the big 4. Hard to know yet in what order. If you went to Vegas today, I think Mercedes looks like the favorite sitting here right now, but a long way to go. Williams didn't make it out. Aston only got out at the very end. So you have no idea where Williams stands. I think the grid will be more spread out, which is to be expected in new formula for a little bit. So last year in Abu Dhabi, I think a second covered the entire field. I would anticipate it being two or 3 seconds covers the entire field, but that's normal.
We're going to have to learn how to race these cars a little bit differently because they run out of deployment. So, I still think there's some work to be done with the FIA to refine the rules to make sure that while there's strategy and how you deploy the battery and the energy that, you know, we're not running out of energy at the end of straights and getting into lift and coast. I don't think that'll be visible to the fan, ‘cause we were 3-4 seconds off what was last year's pace, but you can't see that. So, you know, it's like I've gone around Indy, you can't tell the difference between 230 and 226. They look like they're flying.
So, early to tell, but it kind of looks like the usual suspects, but too hard to tell in what order. The Red Bull engine was very strong. I think everyone was pleasantly surprised. I'd rather them not be as competitive as but you know, impressed with what they've done because they came out, they did a lot of miles and they seem to be very competitive.”
: “Can you make any observations on the Formula 1 packing order based on the limited stuff you saw at the closed test?”
