McLaren struggles with graining and software calibration at the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season
McLaren’s start to the 2026 Formula 1 season has proven to be more complicated than expected. It is now clear that there were no mind games in the words of team principal Andrea Stella, who after the Bahrain pre-season tests had described the situation as encouraging but still far from the very top of the competitive order.
The Australian Grand Prix confirmed those concerns. During the race weekend in Melbourne, the British team not only struggled with the same battery recharge issues affecting many teams under the new regulations, but also suffered from significant tyre graining. This factor substantially limited the performance of the only McLaren MCL40 that managed to take part in the race. Below is a closer analysis of what happened.
Australian Grand Prix 2026: what happened to Oscar Piastri?
Andrea Stella explained that it was certainly unfortunate to have to face the Grand Prix with only one car on the grid. During the initial reconnaissance lap, a combination of factors led to the incident that forced Oscar Piastri to retire before the race had even officially started.
The Italian team principal stated that the episode was caused by the interaction of several elements. These included tyre temperatures that had not yet reached their optimal operating window, an unexpected torque delivery from the power unit, and the car running over the kerb at the same moment.
This combination triggered a sudden spin at Turn 4, which was then followed by a collision with the barriers. It is a type of issue that, at this very early stage of the Formula 1 championship, appears to be troubling several teams across the grid.
There is no doubt that it was a particularly difficult moment for the Australian driver, especially considering that the race was taking place in front of his home crowd. At the same time, Stella emphasized that Piastri is mentally very strong and that the driver will certainly regroup together with the team after this unfortunate episode.
McLaren still far from the front
The McLaren team principal then moved on to analyze the race itself, highlighting how important it was to bring Lando Norris’ car to the finish line. Completing the Grand Prix allowed the team to collect valuable data and technical information under these brand-new regulations.
Lando Norris did an excellent job adapting to the different scenarios that unfolded throughout the race. He even managed to engage in direct on-track battles with Max Verstappen at certain stages.
However, despite the British driver’s efforts, the final gap to the race leader remained quite significant. This clearly highlights that there is still a considerable amount of work to do in terms of overall performance.
The team had opted for a different race strategy compared to some of its rivals and lost part of its race time during the opening phase, when Norris’ car became stuck behind a Red Bull. That situation prevented the McLaren driver from fully exploiting the potential pace of the MCL40.
From a technical standpoint, Andrea Stella pointed out that there is still performance to unlock. According to the Italian team principal, improvements must come both from a more effective use of the power unit and from increasing the level of mechanical grip available to the car in cornering situations.
Finally, Andrea Stella took the opportunity to thank the entire McLaren organization for the work that has been done so far. He expressed his appreciation not only for the staff working at the team’s headquarters in Woking, but also for the trackside crew and the engineers from Mercedes High Performance Powertrains.
He concluded by explaining that the team will carefully analyze everything that was learned during the Australian Grand Prix weekend, with the goal of arriving at the next race in China in a more competitive condition.
Technical analysis: the McLaren MCL40 still needs refinement
The opening race of the season revealed a very different style of race management compared to last year, with several layers of complexity now influencing performance.
Tyres, as always in Formula 1, remain a crucial factor. Although McLaren demonstrated very good levels of grip at certain stages, another parameter now plays an equally important role: the management of hybrid energy and how intelligently it is deployed throughout the race.
The competitive battle therefore takes place across multiple fronts. Teams must try to maximize every single parameter if they want to remain competitive across a full race distance.
Ferrari and Mercedes appeared to show something more compared to both Red Bull and McLaren. Despite using the same German power unit, the Woking-based team has not been able to extract the same level of advantage.
The explanation lies in the fact that Mercedes supplies the power unit itself, but not the control software used to manage the energy system. The programming and strategic management of energy deployment is left to each individual team, and this is where the first weakness became visible over the course of the race weekend.
In addition to this, at the end of the race Andrea Stella was very clear in his comments about another issue affecting the MCL40.
Even though the new generation of Formula 1 cars was designed starting from a blank sheet of paper, the MCL40 appears to have inherited a natural tendency to suffer more from tyre graining than some of its competitors. The front end of the car remains quite stiff and struggles to generate enough energy into the tyres.
Both Mercedes and Ferrari also experienced some degree of tyre graining, but to a lesser extent than McLaren. There are several factors that can influence this behavior.
The asphalt surface in Melbourne is often described as “green,” meaning that it offers less grip and can lead to increased sliding. However, somewhat surprisingly, the softer tyre compounds showed higher levels of graining compared to the harder tyres during the race weekend.
This is an important detail that teams will certainly keep in mind for the upcoming races. The competitive picture could remain quite similar at the Chinese Grand Prix, which will take place already this weekend at the Shanghai International Circuit.
On the energy management side, some small improvements can likely be made by refining the programming of the deployment and harvesting maps throughout the lap. However, more substantial changes aimed at fundamentally improving how flexible the energy management system is in adapting to track conditions will require more time.
This is an area in which several teams will need to continue working intensively, as mastering this aspect of the new regulations could make a very significant difference in overall performance.
McLaren’s early-season struggles highlight the immense challenge of the 2026 regulations, where software optimization is proving just as vital as aerodynamic efficiency. With the Chinese Grand Prix just days away, the focus will be on whether the engineers can refine the energy maps to prevent the MCL40 from falling further behind the works Mercedes team.
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