Lando Norris has highlighted that an essential strength from McLaren’s 2025 Formula 1 car is presently absent in their 2026 design. During the recent pre-season testing sessions at the Bahrain International Circuit, Norris and his team-mate Oscar Piastri set competitive lap times, suggesting McLaren’s readiness to compete at the sharp end of the field this season.
Despite these promising lap times, Norris acknowledged that the car lacks the long-run pace that was a defining feature of the MCL39 in 2025, leaving McLaren somewhat behind rival teams in terms of race stint performance. The inability to replicate that endurance on extended runs over the two weeks of testing indicates there is significant work ahead for the British outfit as they aim to defend their World Championship titles.
Race Pace from Last Year Not Yet Matched in New McLaren Car
Long-run consistency was a significant factor in McLaren’s success last year, enabling the team to manage races with confidence and pace. Norris spoke candidly about the current shortfall in that area at Bahrain, explaining there remains a gap to reach the race pace levels of some competitors.
“From what we see at the minute, no,”
the reigning World Champion told media including Motorsport Week.
“Last year we also had just a pace advantage. So going into the race we could almost drive slower, things worked better, and then we could drive quicker. At the minute we’re a little bit off.”
He continued by describing how the car’s performance balance is still being worked on, with degradation now proving more problematic than before. Norris expressed confidence that some strengths from last season will carry over but emphasized that achieving the same well-tuned performance is a challenge.
“So to match the race pace of some of the others, we should be more, and then we have more degradation. Not entirely, but I’m sure there are some things, I know there are some things that were our strengths last year that will continue to be our strengths this season.
“But it’s a lot of work just to get the balance in a good window. The car worked very well last year. It was difficult to understand, but it worked well. And it’s still just very, very early days, but it’s part of the move. So we’ll be continuing to look into that.
“Of course I would love that, because even when we had a bad folly we knew we would have a good Sunday. And that was always something to look forward to.
“So the team working hard on every area, that includes race pace, tyre cooling, all of those things. But at the minute, yeah, we’re just kind of further improving in most areas.
— Lando Norris, McLaren Formula 1 Driver
New Developments Bring Encouragement in McLaren’s 2026 Campaign
While concerns remain about McLaren’s race pace, Norris offered a more positive outlook as the team introduced new parts during the Bahrain testing programme. These updates have helped the Woking-based team deepen their understanding of the MCL40’s behaviour, particularly around tyre performance and car balance.
“I think we made some good steps from last week to this week already,”
Norris commented. He added that the comprehensive testing allowed the team to assess their strengths and weaknesses more clearly as they prepare for the upcoming season.
“Some little things on the car that arrived and we’re further testing. It’s always hard to know, but from our own programme we got through a lot of things, we did what we wanted to.”
“We got a good understanding of tyres and balances and things like that, strengths, weaknesses.
— Lando Norris, McLaren Formula 1 Driver
Prospects for McLaren’s Season Hinge on Continued Refinement
The observations from Lando Norris signal that while McLaren’s 2026 car shows promise, the team is still addressing key elements that delivered their 2025 success. Long-run performance, a critical advantage for the papaya squad last year, remains an area requiring improvement. With new parts arriving and data gathering underway, McLaren appears committed to bridging that gap as the season progresses.
Maintaining the competitive edge established by Norris and world champion Oscar Piastri will be vital for McLaren’s ambitions to retain both World Championship crowns. Their ability to improve race pace, tyre management, and overall car balance over the coming months will likely determine their standing in the fiercely contested Formula 1 grid.
