Lando Norris
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McLaren might be on the back foot compared to rivals Mercedes because they’re still trying to learn about this year’s new power unit.
The Australian Grand Prix will see all 11 teams debut their cars in a competitive environment for the first time under Formula 1’s new regulations.
McLaren would have been gutted that the rules were changing over the winter break after dominating the constructors’ championship over the last two years.
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Lando Norris has the number one on his car for the first time, and Oscar Piastri is constantly improving behind the scenes with the Woking-based team.
However, one of the main components of the new rules is the power unit, and there’s a belief that Mercedes might have built the best engine at this stage.
However, McLaren weren’t given the latest spec Mercedes engine in testing, and journalist Nate Saunders believes that there are still aspects of the new power unit that Andrea Stella’s team are getting to grips with.
READ MORE: All you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine
McLaren still learning about ‘basic’ aspects of Mercedes power unit for the 2026 F1 season
Saunders was speaking about McLaren on The Ringer Podcast in the run-up to the first race in Melbourne.
He said: “I just think Mercedes were kind of eagerly watching all of the other teams, and we didn’t get to see them relative to the Charles Leclerc lap at the end.
“A few weeks ago, I would have put money on George Russell winning hands down the first race. Now I might halve that bet, and then head jet somewhere else.
“I was thinking about McLaren because Chris [Medland] mentioned that the Mercedes engine looks good this year.
Will Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri always be on good terms?
“They do seem to be a little bit behind. From what I understand, because of when they get the engine, they’re still kind of understanding basic stuff that Mercedes were basically getting to at the end of last year.
“And I’m totally buying the Ferrari hype train at this point, at least from the very beginning of the season.
“Ferrari have this habit of building very good cars for regulation changes, 2017 and 2022.
“What happens to them is when the future car becomes the current car, that’s when all the politics gets involved.”
READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration
McLaren playing down expectations heading into the 2026 Formula 1 season
Stella has been clear throughout testing that McLaren are behind several works teams on the grid heading into the opening races of the season.
That’s understandable considering how much more data and time the likes of Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull have had with their power units to understand the complexities and build their gearbox and other parts around it.
However, McLaren are also experts when it comes to managing expectations, and 12 months ago, they once again suggested that the pack were far closer to them than what eventually played out.
During one of his official media sessions during testing, Stella admitted: “I think McLaren and Red Bull are probably very similar. Ferrari and Mercedes are a step ahead.”
Only 4% of TalkingPoints users think Norris will win the championship, with fans having slightly more confidence in Piastri.
Once McLaren fully understand the new Mercedes engine, then it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them competing right at the front of the grid once again, as long as they can keep their current driver line-up intact.
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