McLaren trailing ‘clear group’ at the front ahead of Australian Grand Prix

Former Ferrari race engineer Rob Smedley says there is a “clear group” that emerged off the front during pre-season, and reigning world champion McLaren is a bit behind it.

Putting new cars on the track this season, powered by a new engine formula, in what is arguably Formula 1’s biggest reset in its history, the teams had nine days on track – excluding shakedowns and filming days – to prepare for the F1 2026 season.

Is McLaren lagging behind?

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The numbers told an interesting, but by no means accurate, story.

While Mercedes reportedly dominated the behind-closed-doors Barcelona test, it was Ferrari who came to the fore by the end of the second Bahrain outing.

Charles Leclerc set the pace with a 1:31.992, putting him eight-tenths up on Kimi Antonelli but former F1 driver Jolyon Palmer doubts Mercedes was going for performance laps such is its confidence in the W17.

Red Bull’s new Red Bull-Ford engine was up there in the lap count, the Milton Keynes team impressing with its first-ever power unit.

But while Red Bull showed notable energy deployment, Ferrari made flying launches off the line, and Mercedes’ reliability was impressive, McLaren, the reigning world champion, was there and thereabouts.

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Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were third and fourth on the timesheet, nine-tenths down on Leclerc, and the team was fourth in lap count, 395 laps to Mercedes’ 432.

Not a concern, but also not pace-setting according to former Ferrari race engineer Smedley.

“From the Bahrain test, there was, we saw a little bit of Barcelona then and then more so in the Bahrain test, a clear group emerging at the front,” he told Motorsport Week.

“Definitely Mercedes look very strong to start the season. Red Bull look very strong, they’re up there with them, and probably have the edge on race pace.

“Ferrari have done a great job, it’s really nice to see some of the innovations on that car. I think Ferrari will be there or thereabouts.”

“McLaren,” he continued, “from the testing, were probably just a little bit off the back of that top three but not far away,” he said.

“They’re still in the mix and then it’s good to see the midfield as well, the midfield was a little bit shaken-up and possibly, let’s see in Australia, edging towards that top four as well.”

But having said that, the 52-year-old accepts there is still a lot of pace to be found in this year’s new regulations.

“But I think what you have to take into account is this ruleset is so immature, that the development is all-important,” he said.

“It’s good to start the season with a good car, but [in] Formula 1, what the pecking order is in Australia, won’t be the case, more than likely, won’t be there, won’t be the case by the time we get to Abu Dhabi, just because the development curve will be so strong.”

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