Andrea Stella: F1 2026 reliability fears 'vanished' in Barcelona shakedown

McLaren Racing team principal Andrea Stella says the widespread reliability worries that accompanied Formula 1’s first shakedown of the 2026-spec cars evaporated almost as soon as the wheels began turning at Barcelona.

Nine of the ten teams – all except Williams – completed private running from 26-30 January to sample the radically revised regulations that will define the next championship cycle. Initial concern that the new hybrid power units might trigger the kind of chronic failures witnessed at the introduction of the current hybrid era in 2014 proved unfounded.

“In general, I think the teams have shown a high level of preparation for the debut of the new generation of cars,” Stella said in comments released by McLaren. “Those who feared a repeat of what happened 12 years ago at the debut of the hybrid power units saw their fears vanish fairly quickly. In terms of the power unit, we saw that even those who brought the engine to the track for the first time managed to accumulate a good number of kilometres.”

The Italian stressed that the handful of interruptions during the week stemmed not from the power-train but from the steep learning curve posed by the 2026 car’s complex control systems. “The reliability issues that slowed down the work on the track, at least as far as we are concerned, were mainly related to the enormous complexity of the 2026 car system,” he explained. “I would like to applaud our team who worked with extraordinary commitment, day and night, to allow us to almost completely make up for the time lost at the beginning.”

Stella likened the marathon repair sessions to winter tests of a decade ago, when garages routinely stayed lit until the early morning. “I am sure that as the teams get to know the cars better, everything will return to normal,” he added.

McLaren will pull the covers off its 2026 challenger in Bahrain on Monday 9 February, two days before the first official pre-season test at the Bahrain International Circuit on 11-13 February. A second test follows on 18-20 February, leading into the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 6-8 March.