McLaren warns Australian GP will reveal a very different picture than Bahrain. McLaren expects the 2026 Australian GP to show very different performance values.

McLaren admits Melbourne will deliver very different insights compared to Bahrain tests

McLaren is preparing for the Australian GP under circumstances very different from those seen during the Bahrain pre-season tests. According to Andrea Stella, the Melbourne race will put drivers and power units under much greater pressure, particularly regarding energy management under the new 2026 regulations.

The Team Principal of the Woking team emphasized how the specific characteristics of each circuit will be crucial in understanding car behavior, with energy recovery and deployment expected to become key performance factors.

Circuits and energy management: why Melbourne will be more demanding

After six days of testing in Sakhir, Stella clarified that not all tracks will require the same approach to energy management. The main challenge is balancing energy recovery and usage, which will vary significantly from circuit to circuit.

“I think in 2026 we will have to pay close attention to the characteristics of each circuit, including aspects related to energy management and how easy it is to meet the power unit’s needs on a given track. In Barcelona, for example, the balance between energy usage and recovery was quite demanding,” he said.

“In Bahrain, it was relatively simpler because you brake a lot and can almost fully recover energy under braking; there’s no need to do something special, like lifting off the throttle, to increase the energy recovery time.”

McLaren focused on the Australian GP: drivers will be more ‘engaged’ behind the wheel

Looking ahead to the Albert Park circuit, Stella expects a much more demanding race for the drivers, who will have to carefully manage energy deployment and recovery throughout each lap.

“Now we go to Australia, on a track that will be a bit more challenging. I expect to see drivers much more engaged in their driving to ensure they use the power unit as efficiently as possible in both energy recovery and deployment, optimizing lap times. But then there’s also the race: defending, attacking, and managing on-track duels,” he added.

Collaboration with Mercedes and progress ahead of Melbourne

Despite the complexity of the new regulations, Stella expressed confidence in the progress the team made during testing, highlighting the importance of working closely with Mercedes High Performance Powertrains.

“We learned a lot during the tests. There has been a really strong collaboration with HPP. We are very grateful for the efforts made to ensure progress day by day. That said, there is still much to learn, and certainly a lot of work remains on engine control, the power unit, and how to exploit it to its full potential.”