McLaren is starting the 2026 Formula 1 season with fewer kilometers than planned: Why downtime during the shakedown says more than lap times
Formula 1 team McLaren has admitted that it did not get off to an ideal start to the 2026 Formula 1 season at the shakedown in Barcelona. Technical director Nick Houldey said after the test drives were completed: “We perhaps felt we were lagging a little behind because we didn’t quite achieve the mileage we had set ourselves on the first and second days.”
Although McLaren covered more than a Grand Prix distance on its first day of driving with 360 kilometers, it only managed another 225 kilometers on the second day. On the third day, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri drove a combined total of almost 800 kilometers for a total distance of 1,360 kilometers. But in the end, that was only the fourth-lowest mileage—around 1,000 kilometers less than front-runner Mercedes. According to Houldey, the deficit was mainly due to “small, annoying problems that took up a disproportionate amount of time.” However, the third day of driving with the McLaren MCL40 was a ray of hope: “Both drivers completed many laps without any problems. That day gave us exactly what we needed. So we went home satisfied.”
How world champion Norris assesses the shakedown
World champion Norris also said he was “generally satisfied.” He said: “From my point of view, it was about getting a good feel for the car again. There are a few minor things I need to adjust here and there, but otherwise it still feels like a real race car—fast and comfortable to drive.”
But other teams seemed faster, especially Mercedes and Ferrari. That didn’t escape Norris’s attention: “Of course, you always look at the others. That’s just part of the sport. And you have to accept that sometimes others do a better job. That’s exactly what you want to learn from.“
And there’s no shortage of lessons at McLaren. Norris’ teammate Piastri, for example, said: ”We’ve started to understand some of the issues, limitations, and differences compared to last year – both with the car and the powertrain. Now we’re going to analyze what worked as planned, what didn’t, and what needs to be adjusted.“
McLaren: Things need to go better at the Bahrain test
Overall, McLaren already feels ”well prepared“ for the upcoming Formula 1 test drives in Bahrain. The bottom line is that the shakedown was a ”successful step in the right direction.” Piastri said he had not noticed “any major surprises” in the car’s handling. “Ensuring that everything works as expected remains our main focus,” he explained. McLaren’s technical director Houldey, however, wants more: “We are traveling to Bahrain with the clear goal of competing there with a faster and more reliable car than at the start of the shakedown in Barcelona.”
