McLaren plans cautious start as Ferrari, Mercedes show early edge

McLaren will head into the opening round of the season in Melbourne with a cautious mindset, despite coming off a championship-winning campaign.

Team principal Andrea Stella said the early races may require a “defensive" approach, with Ferrari and Mercedes appearing slightly ahead in pre-season running. The Woking-based squad is defending both titles this year after Lando Norris ended Max Verstappen’s four-year run at the top.

While expectations are naturally high, Stella struck a careful tone, suggesting that testing form does not always translate directly into race pace.

Encouraging numbers from testing

McLaren completed 1,108 laps across nine days of testing in Bahrain and Barcelona, a solid workload that allowed the team to tick off most of its planned evaluation programme.

From a reliability standpoint, Stella said the team made clear progress compared to last season’s starting point. Just as importantly, the MCL40 has shown signs of improved outright speed. Both Norris and Oscar Piastri reported positive feedback on balance and drivability.

However, Stella acknowledged that interpreting testing data remains tricky. Fuel loads, engine modes and development plans vary widely across teams, making it difficult to define the true pecking order.

Ferrari and Mercedes look sharp

Within what Stella called the “usual suspects", Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull, he believes Ferrari and Mercedes currently hold a small advantage.

How big that gap is remains uncertain. The true competitive picture will only become clearer once qualifying begins at the Australian Grand Prix.

For McLaren, the bigger question may not be initial pace, but how quickly each team develops under this year’s regulations.

Development race will define the season

Formula One is entering one of its biggest regulatory transitions in decades. The new engine and chassis framework significantly increases the electrical component of the power unit, bringing it close to parity with the combustion engine.

That shift introduces new challenges in energy deployment, boost modes and race management. Some observers worry the added complexity could make racing harder for casual fans to follow.

Stella acknowledged the scale of change, describing it as perhaps the most sweeping overhaul of this century. He added that fine-tuning may still be needed to ensure the racing remains clear, competitive and engaging.

For McLaren, the opening phase will be about consistency and seizing opportunities rather than outright dominance. As Stella put it, using a football analogy, the team may defend early and look to strike on the counterattack once rivals reveal their full potential.

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