McLaren Confirms Full Running Over Final Three Days of F1 Barcelona Test

Formula 1, Sportrik Media - McLaren has confirmed it will finally take to the track over the final three days of this week’s Formula 1 2026 pre-season test in Barcelona, after deliberately delaying its on-track programme during the opening phase of the five-day session.

Team principal Andrea Stella had already indicated last week that McLaren would restrict itself to a filming day on the opening day of the private test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, during which teams are limited to 200 kilometres of running under FIA regulations.

While the majority of the grid conducted meaningful running on Monday, McLaren did not appear on track. Teams such as Mercedes and Haas each completed more than 150 laps on the opening day, whereas McLaren elected to keep its car in the garage as part of a planned programme.

Weather conditions further influenced McLaren’s approach on Tuesday. Rain arrived mid-morning and persisted throughout the afternoon, leading the team to continue keeping the MCL40—which is scheduled to run in an interim test livery—out of public view while final assembly checks and system verification were completed.

Although rain is again forecast for Wednesday, McLaren has now confirmed that its on-track programme will begin and run through to the end of the test. The team also clarified that the delay was a strategic decision rather than the result of technical issues.

In an official statement, McLaren explained that it has intentionally used the flexibility built into the test format.

“With track testing for the 2026 season underway and the permitted running time limited to three days over a five-day period, McLaren has approached this week’s Barcelona shakedown utilising the full flexibility of the programme,” the team stated.

“We plan to run on track for the final three days of testing, while the opening days have provided an important opportunity for the full car to be assembled and checked.”

The approach reflects McLaren’s emphasis on ensuring baseline reliability and system integrity before committing to intensive mileage, particularly given the scale of technical change introduced under the 2026 regulations.

At this stage, McLaren has yet to confirm which of its drivers will be first to take the wheel when running begins, with both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri expected to feature across the remaining days of the test.

With only three days of running available in Barcelona, McLaren now faces a compressed but focused test schedule, aiming to extract maximum value from each session before the next phase of pre-season preparation and the opening rounds of the new Formula 1 era.