McLaren continues to learn how to get the most out of its Mercedes power unit amid the new F1 engine regulations in 2026. Team boss Andrea Stella admitted the process is gradual and far from complete.
Stella explained that the team regularly makes new discoveries about the Mercedes power unit's behaviour. These small findings, he says, are key to optimising performance at every race weekend.
“There are still some random factors which are only apparently random. This is engineering; things happen for a reason rather than by chance,” Stella told media, including RacingNews365, as quoted from the material received.
Since the start of the season, McLaren has struggled to fully exploit the Mercedes engine, especially compared to the works team. Early problems even caused Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to fail to start in China – a double nightmare not easily forgotten.
This is the first time since McLaren reunited with Mercedes in 2021 that Stella feels the team is on the backfoot as an engine customer. Despite this, he stressed the relationship with Mercedes HPP remains strong and collaborative.
“We are still a few races away from having a full understanding of the power unit behaviour and exploitation,” Stella added. “It is only now, mid-season, that we are starting to have the required tools to anticipate, optimise, and study these sensitivities.”
Stella believes better understanding will come with time. “If this little change happens, then we will have these bigger changes as a consequence. That’s what we haven’t been able to do before. But this is not possible without strong collaboration with HPP, which I’ve always reiterated,” he concluded.
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