McLaren's Stella: Ferrari and Mercedes 'a step ahead' after 2026 pre-season testing

McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella has assessed that Ferrari and Mercedes appear to be "a step ahead" of the competition following the final pre-season test in Bahrain, despite McLaren and Red Bull showing similar pace. He emphasized that true competitive order will become clearer at different circuits, starting with the more challenging energy management demands of the Australian Grand Prix.

Why it matters:

Pre-season testing times are notoriously deceptive, but insights from team principals on long-run performance and car characteristics offer the first genuine clues about the 2026 pecking order. Stella's candid assessment suggests a potential reshuffle at the front, with Ferrari and Mercedes emerging as early favorites, while highlighting the critical new variable of mastering the 2026 power units' complex energy deployment.

The details:

• Testing Takeaways: While Ferrari's Charles Leclerc set a blistering headline time on the final day, Stella pointed to race simulations as a more accurate performance indicator. He noted that McLaren's Lando Norris also had a strong long run, but it occurred during the fastest track conditions of the entire test period.
• Close Midfield: Stella placed McLaren and Red Bull in a very similar performance bracket, indicating a tight battle behind the perceived top two. He cautioned that the order is "very difficult to say" definitively and will likely fluctuate based on circuit characteristics.
• The New 2026 Challenge: A major differentiator will be mastering the 2026 power units' energy harvesting and deployment. Stella explained that Bahrain, with its many braking zones, made harvesting energy relatively straightforward. Circuits like Albert Park in Australia will be "more difficult," forcing drivers to adapt their driving styles to manage energy efficiently over a race distance.
• Customer Team Dynamics: As a Mercedes engine customer, Stella acknowledged the inherent challenge of not having the same integrated chassis-engine development as the works team. He praised the collaboration with Mercedes High Performance Powertrains (HPP) but identified "more work to do" in optimizing engine control and exploitation to enhance on-track raceability against rivals.

What's next:

The competitive picture will begin to crystallize at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. The circuit's layout poses a tougher energy management challenge than Bahrain, which may reshuffle the order seen in testing. Teams and drivers will be under immediate pressure to perfect the complex dance of harvesting and deploying electrical energy, making efficiency as important as pure pace. For McLaren, the focus remains on deepening their collaboration with Mercedes HPP and refining their control over the power unit to close the perceived gap to Ferrari and Mercedes.