2026 McLaren Mastercard F1 Team

[_cerber1]

Car on the track

[MTudor]

I think FIA will say to Mercedes,OK,you found a loophole and we wanted close in 8 races!

[LionsHeart]

What do you think about the speed capabilities of the new cars? I expect the pace will be on par with the 2016 cars.

Fp1 last year in Barcelona was circa 1:13, testing this year was circa 1:16 . This was in colder weather, with no understanding of how much a team pushed in last year or in this test. We understand that some teams didn't push the engine properly to try and hide an advantage,
FP1 in 16 was 1:23 ish, but the track was several seconds slower due to the track changes.

I suspect slightly faster that 2016, but closer to 16 than 25, for sure, but we might be closer to last years times than some people anticipate.

It will be track dependant too, due to downforce loss and then the questions around engines and deployment.

Well, on one fast lap, yes, this year's cars will be faster. But in a race? So far, I'm getting the feeling the race pace will be significantly closer to the 2016 cars. But that's just a feeling.

[mwillems]

What do you think about the speed capabilities of the new cars? I expect the pace will be on par with the 2016 cars.

Fp1 last year in Barcelona was circa 1:13, testing this year was circa 1:16 . This was in colder weather, with no understanding of how much a team pushed in last year or in this test. We understand that some teams didn't push the engine properly to try and hide an advantage,
FP1 in 16 was 1:23 ish, but the track was several seconds slower due to the track changes.

I suspect slightly faster that 2016, but closer to 16 than 25, for sure, but we might be closer to last years times than some people anticipate.

It will be track dependant too, due to downforce loss and then the questions around engines and deployment.

Well, on one fast lap, yes, this year's cars will be faster. But in a race? So far, I'm getting the feeling the race pace will be significantly closer to the 2016 cars. But that's just a feeling.

No actual idea about race pace. In part it will be determined by how many active Aero zones there will be, and at this point the FIA have declined to say anything. We'll find out shortly for Australia. If most straights have active aero then teams can run more wing for the corners (If appropriate) and get downforce back. Quicker on straights and quicker in corners than if there are less active zones.

Some of it will be circuit specific. How will low speed circuits fare if we are relying on mechanical grip and not so much downforce or speed?

I think the FIA said more active Aero zones than there were DRS zones and Australia had 3 DRS, for instance. You could add an active zone between 5 and 6 and have most of the circuits meaningful drag affected straights as active zones.

Since active zones are available (Conditions permitting) throughout a race, race lap pace won't be so far from Q lap pace, so perhaps the race laps will be a bit faster than 2016.

[SilviuAgo]

Lando and Oscar both did some more miles on a filming day in Bahrain today, and they will share duties again when testing starts tomorrow:

[SmallSoldier]

McLaren bringing a low amount of softs. Will be interesting to see what laptimes they manage to do.

https://i.postimg.cc/rmCfV8YL/20260210-132249.jpg

It’s all about race pace and tIre management this week… One lap performance probably on the last day of next week.

It will all be about the new tires… What changes affect them, what increases / reduces graining, how the changes between aero modes influences them… How to keep them in the window longer… Not surprising the tire allocation if you want to be able to measure runs against each other

[Leon Kennedy]

What do you think about the speed capabilities of the new cars? I expect the pace will be on par with the 2016 cars.

Fp1 last year in Barcelona was circa 1:13, testing this year was circa 1:16 . This was in colder weather, with no understanding of how much a team pushed in last year or in this test. We understand that some teams didn't push the engine properly to try and hide an advantage,
FP1 in 16 was 1:23 ish, but the track was several seconds slower due to the track changes.

I suspect slightly faster that 2016, but closer to 16 than 25, for sure, but we might be closer to last years times than some people anticipate.

It will be track dependant too, due to downforce loss and then the questions around engines and deployment.

Well, on one fast lap, yes, this year's cars will be faster. But in a race? So far, I'm getting the feeling the race pace will be significantly closer to the 2016 cars. But that's just a feeling.

I did a quick calculation to understand how much the chicane on the Barcelona circuit was worth in terms of time. Consider that in the 2022 tests we went very close to the limit (perhaps due to also to the use of a softer tyre than that given in the Grand Prix) with a time of 1.19.1, pole time that year 1.18.7. Pole time the following year 1.12.2 (without chicanes). The performance leap from 2022 to 2023 was approximately 1.1 second per lap (Miami 1.8 because it had been resurfaced), between 23 and 24 0.8 seconds. But let's keep 1.1 as an approximate reference threshold. In essence in 2022 the pole would have been 1.13.3 which subtracted from 1.18.7, gives a difference of 5.4 seconds (this is the value of the chicane). The fastest time of the 2026 tests was Hamilton's in 16.3, so only about 3 seconds off the virtual pole time of 2022. And in my opinion they weren't even close to the limit, neither as a car configuration nor as an engine configuration.


My personal opinion: 3 seconds difference considering they didn't push in the tests, is really little and can be made up, I wouldn't be surprised if we were in line with the 22 times.

[Leon Kennedy]

It's interesting that outlets suggest that Red Bull may also take sides against Mercedes. Either they haven't exploited a loophole or haven't done it as well, if it is the case. Or they have a different loophole.

Still, I doubt that anything will happen in the first half of the season, if at all this year, other than to free up other teams to develop more or sooner.

If the fia are putting out videos, all but calling out Merc, then things will happen, probably quite quickly.

I think it will be to restrict Merc rather than allow others to go above the limit.

The FIA have put itself in a terrible spot. They want to avoid an arms race of engine development, but this grey area opens Pandora's box. If they don't find a solution, there will be significant investment from others in 2026, which is counter to Audi's (maybe Honda's) needs.

If the ratio is due to thermal expansion, I could see allowing it for a year and limiting next year with a new hot-dynamic test/sensor.

If the rumour of "pockets" being used is true, that is, in my opinion, beyond the grey area, and the FIA will need a solution for Australia.

The real issue is the advantage it is generating. I don't think the FIA will even know this. It is in Merc's interest that their engine is only slightly ahead, so as long as they are winning, they should limit performance and continually increase as the other catch up.

Could the FIA give the other manufacturers ADUO credits, with the agreement of Merc, outside the 2-4%, to allow them to "catch up"? I just don't see how this reconciles. Either Merc PU teams will be dominant or nerfed. It is hard to see how parity or near parity on the PU will be achieved, which is unfortunate from a competitive F1 POV.

From what I've heard, Mercedes has a significantly superior power unit to the others. I think they'll find a deal to bring less "mathematical" horsepower with the fuel mixture. The engine can't function without that micro-chamber and its compression ratio. The point is that even if you remove those horsepower, on paper this advantage isn't measured only in direct horsepower, but Extracts more work from the same mixture
Improves thermal efficiency
Increases mean effective pressure (IMEP)
So even with fewer peak horsepower, Mercedes would have:
Better efficiency
Better torque at medium revs
Better response
Better fuel consumption, more margin for electric deployment


Essentially, the architecture is better than the others. The gap with other engine manufacturers won't be filled with ADUO alone; especially during the current season, it will be nearly impossible. I've already read that some teams like Ferrari are already focusing on 2027, because only in this way can you really recover, that is, a year early.

[WardenOfTheNorth]

The chamber is a non-starter. That would be black and white illegal.

Driver61 did a video on YouTube explaining how they could theoretically achieve it using thermal expansion of the piston rods and piston heads.

[Darth-Piekus]

Tomorrow the first good test will commence. Hopefully everything goes as planned and hopefully we continue from where we left it and even more.

[LionsHeart]

Fp1 last year in Barcelona was circa 1:13, testing this year was circa 1:16 . This was in colder weather, with no understanding of how much a team pushed in last year or in this test. We understand that some teams didn't push the engine properly to try and hide an advantage,
FP1 in 16 was 1:23 ish, but the track was several seconds slower due to the track changes.

I suspect slightly faster that 2016, but closer to 16 than 25, for sure, but we might be closer to last years times than some people anticipate.

It will be track dependant too, due to downforce loss and then the questions around engines and deployment.

Well, on one fast lap, yes, this year's cars will be faster. But in a race? So far, I'm getting the feeling the race pace will be significantly closer to the 2016 cars. But that's just a feeling.

No actual idea about race pace. In part it will be determined by how many active Aero zones there will be, and at this point the FIA have declined to say anything. We'll find out shortly for Australia. If most straights have active aero then teams can run more wing for the corners (If appropriate) and get downforce back. Quicker on straights and quicker in corners than if there are less active zones.

Some of it will be circuit specific. How will low speed circuits fare if we are relying on mechanical grip and not so much downforce or speed?

I think the FIA said more active Aero zones than there were DRS zones and Australia had 3 DRS, for instance. You could add an active zone between 5 and 6 and have most of the circuits meaningful drag affected straights as active zones.

Since active zones are available (Conditions permitting) throughout a race, race lap pace won't be so far from Q lap pace, so perhaps the race laps will be a bit faster than 2016.

Indeed. That makes a lot of sense. But I believe that to avoid losing a significant portion of battery charge, drivers will have to use significantly less power to maintain top speed on the straights. This will allow them to set consistent laps without becoming a complete slouch. Therefore, I believe race pace should be significantly lower than qualifying. Again, I don't know how much energy can be recuperated in a single lap. What the technology is capable of and what the regulations limit.

I agree. If there are many active aerodynamic zones, then less battery power will be spent on overcoming drag. In that case, rainy races will be even more chaotic.

[LionsHeart]

Fp1 last year in Barcelona was circa 1:13, testing this year was circa 1:16 . This was in colder weather, with no understanding of how much a team pushed in last year or in this test. We understand that some teams didn't push the engine properly to try and hide an advantage,
FP1 in 16 was 1:23 ish, but the track was several seconds slower due to the track changes.

I suspect slightly faster that 2016, but closer to 16 than 25, for sure, but we might be closer to last years times than some people anticipate.

It will be track dependant too, due to downforce loss and then the questions around engines and deployment.

Well, on one fast lap, yes, this year's cars will be faster. But in a race? So far, I'm getting the feeling the race pace will be significantly closer to the 2016 cars. But that's just a feeling.

I did a quick calculation to understand how much the chicane on the Barcelona circuit was worth in terms of time. Consider that in the 2022 tests we went very close to the limit (perhaps due to also to the use of a softer tyre than that given in the Grand Prix) with a time of 1.19.1, pole time that year 1.18.7. Pole time the following year 1.12.2 (without chicanes). The performance leap from 2022 to 2023 was approximately 1.1 second per lap (Miami 1.8 because it had been resurfaced), between 23 and 24 0.8 seconds. But let's keep 1.1 as an approximate reference threshold. In essence in 2022 the pole would have been 1.13.3 which subtracted from 1.18.7, gives a difference of 5.4 seconds (this is the value of the chicane). The fastest time of the 2026 tests was Hamilton's in 16.3, so only about 3 seconds off the virtual pole time of 2022. And in my opinion they weren't even close to the limit, neither as a car configuration nor as an engine configuration.


My personal opinion: 3 seconds difference considering they didn't push in the tests, is really little and can be made up, I wouldn't be surprised if we were in line with the 22 times.

Welcome newcomer to the forum!

Fine. So be it. That might not be far from the truth. At the moment, with so little data, it's really hard to calculate all the possibilities. Admittedly, I'm not too concerned about the pace of a single fast lap. I'm more interested in how quickly the new cars can cover the race distance. And that directly depends on race pace. Naturally, we're not taking the safety car and rain into account.

[Darth-Piekus]

Do we know if Skysports or another channel will show the test live?

[CjC]

Sky sports for this test are airing the last hour of each day live.

[Darth-Piekus]

And is there any other that is airing the rest of the hours?