McLaren Encounter Early Reliability Concerns as Barcelona Testing Is Cut Short
McLaren have acknowledged encountering early technical difficulties with their all-new 2026 Formula 1 challenger after their second day of private testing in Barcelona was significantly disrupted.
The reigning world champions were taking part in the five-day private shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where each team is permitted three days of running. Thursday marked McLaren’s second outing of the week, with Oscar Piastri getting his first opportunity behind the wheel of the MCL40 after Lando Norris handled driving duties on Wednesday. The pair are scheduled to complete their final day of testing by sharing sessions on Friday.
However, plans were derailed when Piastri spent much of Thursday afternoon confined to the garage instead of accumulating valuable mileage. With teams eager to log as many laps as possible under the sport’s sweeping 2026 technical regulations, the lost track time represented a notable setback.
Speaking after the session, Piastri confirmed that a technical issue forced McLaren to end their running earlier than intended. The Australian revealed the team had identified a fault within the fuel system, which required immediate attention.
“Unfortunately, we ran into a few problems today,” Piastri explained. “We had an issue with the fuel system that cut our running short. The team is working extremely hard to resolve it so we can get back out and maximise our laps tomorrow.”
Despite the interruption, Piastri remained pragmatic, stressing that early teething problems are to be expected with an entirely new car and power unit. The 2026 regulations represent the biggest overhaul the sport has seen in years, with fresh chassis concepts and next-generation engines forcing teams into unfamiliar territory.
“These cars are completely different to what we’ve been driving for the past few seasons,” he added. “That’s exactly why this test exists – to uncover these problems early. We’ve already learned a few things about areas we can improve to make the car feel better.”
McLaren technical director Mark Temple echoed those sentiments, confirming that the team made the call to halt running in order to properly diagnose the issue rather than risk further complications.
“There are definitely positives to take from the day,” Temple said. “We’ve gained a solid baseline understanding of the car, but we’ve also faced some challenges. The car is extremely complex, and once we discovered the fuel system issue, we decided the best approach was to bring it back into the garage, strip it down completely, and find the root cause.”
Temple acknowledged that the decision came at the cost of valuable track time but insisted it was necessary to ensure reliability going forward.
As a result of their delayed start to the test week and Thursday’s curtailed running, McLaren have completed fewer laps than several of their rivals. Mercedes, in particular, have impressed in terms of mileage and consistency. The Brackley-based squad have surpassed 400 laps across the five days so far, encountering minimal reliability concerns, while George Russell has frequently appeared near the top of the timing sheets.
While pre-season testing times are notoriously misleading, Mercedes’ smooth programme suggests they could be well positioned as the new era begins. In contrast, McLaren’s disrupted schedule highlights that defending their titles may prove far more challenging than their dominant 2025 campaign.
Last season, McLaren claimed 14 victories from 24 races and secured the constructors’ championship with several rounds to spare. However, with the introduction of new technical rules, the competitive landscape is expected to fluctuate significantly throughout the year.
As teams adapt and develop at varying rates, the order seen at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix may look very different by the time the championship concludes in Abu Dhabi. For McLaren, resolving early reliability issues quickly will be key to remaining at the front of Formula 1’s new era.
