McLaren may be the reigning champion, but heading into Formula 1’s 2026 season, it’s not being talked up as the team to beat.
In fact, ask the top teams who’s leading right now, and you will get four different answers. Mercedes points to Red Bull Racing as the benchmark. Red Bull insists it’s actually behind its rivals. Ferrari believes Mercedes and Red Bull have the edge. And McLaren? They’re tipping Ferrari and Mercedes as the ones out front.
But here is the one thing they all agree on: nobody is calling McLaren the fastest right now.
So what’s really going on? Is the reigning champion genuinely fourth-best? Or are they just playing it cool?
Testing Numbers
Pre-season testing in Bahrain gave us our first real glimpse of the 2026 pecking order. Long-run pace basically race simulations are usually the best early indicator of who’s strong over a full grand prix distance. And there, McLaren didn’t look like the class of the field.
Race runs from Ferrari, and Mercedes appeared slightly stronger. Even McLaren team boss Andrea Stella admitted their rivals looked sharper in those comparisons. That’s not something you say unless there’s at least some truth to it.
But testing is messy. Fuel loads vary. Engine modes differ. Tyre strategies aren’t always comparable.
One team might be pushing flat-out, another could be running heavy fuel and focusing on data collection. You can’t just take a lap time and call it gospel.
Still, when both the stopwatch and the team’s own messaging point in the same direction.
Why McLaren Isn’t As Comfortable As Last Year?
Twelve months ago, McLaren hit the ground running. They started strong and looked like the team to beat early on. But that doesn’t seem to be the case this time.
Oscar Piastri has already downplayed expectations, making it clear they won’t arrive at the first race with a big advantage. That alone tells you this car isn’t giving the sam vibes as last year.
The Real Issue
The biggest factor in 2026 isn’t just aero. It’s also the all-new power unit regulations.
This is where the advantage might be sitting with the works teams, especially Mercedes and Ferrari.
When you build both the engine and the chassis in-house, you naturally understand how everything works together. Your engine department and your car designers have been developing concepts side by side for years.
McLaren, as a customer team, uses Mercedes power units. They get the same hardware, yes. But understanding how to extract every last bit of performance? That takes time.
It’s not about having the best or the worst equipment. It is about knowing how to unlock it.
And early in a new regulation cycle, that knowledge gap can show up as half a second or more per lap. That’s massive in F1 terms.
Energy Management
One of the biggest unknowns right now is energy management.
The new hybrid systems are complex. Get the deployment strategy wrong, and you lose huge chunks of lap time. Get it right, and you look like a hero.
McLaren themselves have admitted they are still learning. They are trying to understand the car’s behaviour before fully dialling it in.
So, right now, maybe the McLaren is in fourth. But it is not certain that they last in the same position for long.
Also Read: 2026 Australian Grand Prix Season Opener at Albert Park Circuit F1
