MOTORSPORT – McLaren CEO Zak Brown yesterday played down the possibility that the back-to-back Formula One constructors’ world champions are leaders of the pack heading into the new F1 campaign, but added that they are “definitely in the big four”.
McLaren have shown strong pace in F1 Aramco Pre-Season Testing 2026 in the kingdom, which concludes today with the sixth and final day of running at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) in Sakhir.
And while Brown noted that the MCL40 is presently “a good car”, he admitted that McLaren “are still learning” as they continue its development for the 2026 FIA F1 World Championship, which flags off in just over two weeks’ time with the first grand prix in Melbourne, Australia.
“I think we’ve produced a good car – I think we’ll be in the big four,” Brown said during a Press conference of top F1 team officials yesterday at BIC, held on the sidelines of the tests.
“I don’t think we’re in the front of the big four, but it’s going to be a long season with a lot of development.
“We’re still learning and I think we’re in a good starting position, but I think the red guys and the silver guys are looking very strong, and I don’t think we’ve seen everything yet out of Red Bull, but I think we’re definitely in the top four.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff echoed Brown’s sentiments about his team’s chances, and expressed confidence in their ability to compete amongst the leading pack with their F1 W17 car.
“It’s a relief that we started testing and (the car) is actually decent – the drivers are quite pleased with the car, and then on the stopwatch, we know that we’re not mad zone, and that was the case in all of the last three or four years that we had,” said Wolff at the same Press conference yesterday.
“As Zak said, we don’t really know where everybody stands because 10kg of fuel load can make three to three-and-a-half-tenths of a second in lap time difference, so you can kind of best guess where everybody is.
“I would say it’s four teams at the moment that it’s pretty much the usual suspects in either way.
“I would think we are part of the group that can compete at the front.”
McLaren and Mercedes finished as the top two squads on the final standings of last year’s F1 constructors’ world championship. McLaren’s dominant season saw them score 833 points, while Mercedes followed on 469. Red Bull Racing were third with 451 points while Ferrari completed F1’s ‘big four’ with 398 points.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
Read more:
Antonelli keeps Mercedes on top
BRAVE CF headed towards greater achievements
Riffa outclass 10-man Budaiya
&uuid=(email))