McLaren Successfully Fires Up 2026 MCL40 Challenger

McLaren has successfully completed the first fire-up of its 2026 challenger, the MCL40, at its Woking headquarters. Team principal Andrea Stella oversaw the milestone on Friday, which comes just days before the team heads to Barcelona for pre-season testing. This critical step confirms the team is on schedule following its dominant 2025 campaign, where it secured both the drivers' and constructors' championships.

Why it matters:

The 2026 season introduces a massive regulatory overhaul, meaning last year's success is no guarantee of future dominance. Getting the car fired up early is a significant psychological and technical boost. It demonstrates that McLaren has effectively managed to balance the demands of a title defense with the substantial engineering shift required for the new rules, keeping their momentum alive as they aim to stay at the front of the grid.

The details:

• Timeline: The fire-up occurred exactly one week before the first pre-season test begins in Barcelona, hitting the team's target to have the car ready in advance.
• Personnel: Stella joined staff and representatives from engine supplier Mercedes to run through the planned initial programme of checks.
• Launch Strategy: Although the car is running, the public will have to wait to see it. McLaren plans to officially launch the MCL40 on February 9 in Bahrain, just two days before the first official test begins at the same venue.
• Private Testing: Before the launch, McLaren will participate in private filming days at Barcelona from January 26-30, utilizing three of the five available days to gather early data.
• Stella's Confidence: Despite the rule reset, Stella remains bullish on his team's capabilities, citing the strength of the technical department and their development methodology as key assets for the 2026 challenge.

Looking ahead:

The focus now shifts to the track, where McLaren will be keen to rack up mileage in Barcelona to ensure reliability before the competitive season begins. Interestingly, Ferrari also fired up its 2026 car on the same day, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in attendance, signaling that the early rivalry for the new era is already heating up.