McLaren Delays MCL40 Day-One Run to Boost Development

McLaren will not run the new MCL40 on the opening day of the five-day closed Barcelona pre-season shakedown (Jan 26–30), delaying on-track running until day two or three while still using the three permitted test days. The car was started up late last week and is undergoing dyno and systems reliability work at AVL in Graz, Austria; McLaren will perform its on-track shakedown directly at Barcelona rather than hold a prior private run. Team principal Andrea Stella called the decision ‘plan A’, saying the deliberate delay is intended to maximize development time and ensure the car is properly built and signed off amid what he described as ‘almost unprecedented’ regulation changes.

Technical staff framed the rollout as cautious and data-driven. Chief designer Rob Marshall said the Barcelona car will be ‘pretty much’ the package McLaren takes to the season opener, with only incremental updates expected before the official pre-season tests in Bahrain. Technical director Mark Temple and Stella stressed the scale of the rule changes, noting that new electrical hybrid systems and tighter energy-management constraints will make battery use and recovery central to performance and strategy.

McLaren will limit public visuals early — publishing a silhouette until the eve of Barcelona and holding a full livery reveal on Feb 9 — underscoring the team’s focus on internal validation before public exposure.

The decision trades immediate on-track mileage for additional factory development and reliability validation, a calculated choice shaped by logistics (the car’s dyno programme in Austria) and cost-cap considerations. Several rivals — Audi, Cadillac, Racing Bulls, Alpine, Mercedes and Ferrari — have already completed or scheduled early shakedowns or filming days and could run on day one; McLaren’s later start reduces early running but keeps the team within regulatory allowances.

Overall, McLaren presented the approach as a strategic effort to protect long-term performance and preserve flexibility across the Barcelona test and the lead up to the season opener, prioritizing a controlled rollout of this season’s package over chasing early mileage.