McLaren sees Mercedes setting early 2026 F1 benchmark

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella acknowledges that Mercedes has 'raised the bar' with its strong initial showing in 2026 pre-season testing, but emphasizes the season will be defined by a steep development race where early impressions are just a starting point.

Why it matters:

The first serious running of F1's new-generation cars offers a preliminary, yet crucial, glimpse into the new competitive order. Mercedes appearing to set an early benchmark signals a potential shift after its recent struggles, but the radical new technical regulations mean the learning curve will be immense, and the balance of power is expected to fluctuate significantly throughout the year.

The details:

• Following testing in Barcelona, Stella identified Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull as having all started strongly, but singled out the Brackley team for setting a new early standard.
• He downplayed immediate concerns over a performance gap, noting the top three teams use three different power units, suggesting there may not be 'extremely marked differences' in outright engine performance at this stage.
• The real differentiator will be the operational mastery of the complex new cars, which combine new power units with active aerodynamics and significantly smaller chassis.
• Stella pointed to two key development areas: exploiting the new power unit's driver-adjustable options and perfecting the management of the variable aerodynamic configuration that switches between cornering and straight-line modes.

Looking ahead:

Stella framed 2026 as a season where in-season development will be more critical than ever. He expects the competitive picture from the first part of the season to look very different from the second, as teams rapidly climb a steep learning curve. For McLaren, the focus is on developing its MCL40 from what it believes is a 'good starting point,' treating Mercedes' early form as a motivational target rather than a definitive verdict on the year ahead.