Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri have completed their initial laps in McLaren’s new MCL40, designed under the 2026 Formula 1 regulations, during a three-day shakedown test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Norris drove the car on the first day of their participation after McLaren skipped the opening two days, while Piastri took over on Thursday, sharing driving duties on the final day.
Although a fuel system issue restricted Piastri’s track time on Thursday, both drivers accumulated substantial mileage on Friday. McLaren emphasized covering as many laps as possible rather than chasing headline lap times at this early stage of testing.
Technical Innovation Observed on McLaren’s New F1 Vehicle
The attention of many was drawn to the complex bargeboards on McLaren’s 2026 car as the team revealed their intricate setup at Barcelona, withholding their full livery reveal until February 9. Former Jordan F1 technical director Gary Anderson identified a particularly intriguing aerodynamic feature beneath the nose of the MCL40.
Anderson pointed out several turning vanes under the nose cone, which he believes represent a key innovation impacting airflow management.
“It is under the nose where it all gets a bit more exciting and different. McLaren have these vanes coming down from that surface. I will christen them ‘snowplough’ vanes. All of them look like they have a slightly different profile,”
he explained.
He further elaborated,
“If they are V-shaped where they attach to the nose surface, they could be spilling airflow outwards prior to it getting turned outwards by the V-shape connection between the floor and the underneath of the chassis further rearward.”
The lower outer corner could also be to generate vortices, which could reenergise the airflow that actually goes underneath the leading edge of the underfloor. Whatever they do, I’m pretty sure that a few other teams will be looking closely at it very soon in CFD.
Gary Anderson, Former Jordan F1 Technical Director
Anticipating the Next Round of Testing in Bahrain
Following the Barcelona shakedown, Formula 1 teams are now meticulously analyzing the data collected from on-track runs and evaluating the aerodynamic innovations unveiled, such as McLaren’s turning vanes and Aston Martin’s distinctive sidepod design. The next pre-season testing sessions are scheduled to take place at Bahrain International Circuit, running from February 11 to 13 and then February 18 to 20.
With Norris and Piastri sharing responsibilities during testing, McLaren aims to field a highly competitive car for the opening race in Australia on March 6-8. Norris will strive to defend his drivers’ championship title under the new regulations, while Piastri looks to improve on his 2025 performance and secure stronger results.
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