The first winter tests in Bahrain are often a true spectacle, but also a playground for strategists. With Lando Norris posting promising times, McLaren still seems to lag behind Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari. Far from being just a numbers game, these tests are an opportunity for teams to refine their machines and strategies.
Times and strategies: the dance of the teams
It is essential to keep in mind that the times achieved during these tests have no absolute value. Teams follow various programs and are not yet aiming for pure performance. The real time chase will begin in the final days of testing, where optimizing settings will be at the heart of concerns. For now, the timing sheet looks more like a bingo card than a race in itself.
Lando Norris managed to set the fastest time on the first day, followed by a second-fastest time the next day. However, the Brit remains realistic: McLaren is not yet at its best. In a paddock where the performance of the Red Bull Ford engine seems to dominate, the reigning world champion praised the prowess of the DM01. In Formula 1, it is impossible to escape politics, especially at this time of year when every team tries to prove it has done its homework over the winter.
Red Bull in the spotlight
Norris particularly highlighted Red Bull’s efficiency in recovering electrical energy, a crucial asset for the 2026 season. Max Verstappen’s long stints on Wednesday, where he clocked impressive top speeds, left a mark. The next step is to assess how much the Mercedes engines are being exploited at this stage of testing, as several days remain to fine-tune software, driving styles, and energy strategies.
“They have a very good engine, judging by the GPS data,” Norris said while commenting on Red Bull’s performance. “They deploy a lot of energy with great efficiency. We need to understand how they do it. There are always areas to improve, both on McLaren’s side and Mercedes HPP [Mercedes’ engine department]. They know there are areas where we need to progress.”
A fourth force to overcome
Norris did not hold back on constructive criticism, placing McLaren in fourth position on the preseason grid, just behind Mercedes, Red Bull, and Ferrari. “From a chassis perspective, Red Bull seems strong, and we are not yet at Ferrari’s level either,” he stated. “I am confident that we will progress, but I am also sure that they will too. We have a significant gap to close to consider beating them.”
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Despite this objective assessment, Norris praised his own Thursday performance. With 149 laps under his belt, he gathered valuable data for his team: “There is still a lot to understand, but I would say today was a good day for me in terms of understanding and confidence in the car. It’s fascinating to analyze the data collected today and derive a better engine setup from it.”
“But for now, we need more efficiency. There are pros and cons, and it’s not easy to achieve; otherwise, they would have already done it. We still need to learn how to improve this in the coming days.”
Confidence in the Mercedes engine
On the team side, Neil Houldey, technical director of McLaren, expresses greater confidence in the Woking team’s ability to optimize the energy deployment of its Mercedes engine. “Understanding where to deploy and where to recover energy will be really essential,” he stated. “We need to ensure that we have the maximum possible deployment, as shown by some GPS data.”
“We observe that some teams manage to deploy more energy, while others, whether from the same engine supplier or not, deploy at different times during the lap. We are starting to identify the optimal deployment zones.”
“I know that Mercedes HPP has worked extremely hard to produce the power unit we have, and I have no doubt that we will achieve the level of deployment necessary to be competitive this year.”
Conclusion: a bumpy road ahead
In summary, McLaren faces a significant challenge with rivals already well established. As Lando Norris and his team strive to close the gap that separates them from the leaders, every testing day counts. Preliminary results should not obscure the reality: the road to the top is long and fraught with obstacles. But with determination and hard work, perhaps the papaya will soon shine in the Formula 1 sky.
