McLaren criticise Mercedes over lack of engine data after Australian GP
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has expressed frustration over a lack of crucial engine data from supplier Mercedes following a massive performance gap at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
The reigning constructors’ champions found themselves significantly off the pace as the factory Mercedes team secured a dominant one-two finish in Melbourne.
George Russell led highly-rated rookie Kimi Antonelli across the line to give the Silver Arrows an early championship advantage.
Defending drivers’ champion Lando Norris could only manage fifth place, crossing the line a staggering 51 seconds behind the race winner.
His stablemate Oscar Piastri suffered a disastrous home race, failing to start after a bizarre incident on his way to the grid.
New regulations expose customer deficit
Formula 1 introduced sweeping changes to power unit regulations for the 2026 season, placing a heavier emphasis on electrical energy deployment.
While works teams manufacturing their own powertrains were expected to hold an initial edge, the Woking-based outfit were caught entirely off guard by the sheer scale of their deficit.
The Italian team boss revealed that discussions regarding data transparency with Mercedes High Performance Powertrains have been ongoing for several weeks.
“The discussion with HPP about having more information has been going on for weeks because, even in testing, we were pretty much going on track, run the car, look at the data, ‘oh, that’s what we have. Good, now we react to what we have’,” Stella said.
Simulations compromised by data blackout
Modern grand prix racing relies heavily on precise computer models, making unpredictable energy deployment a major competitive disadvantage.
“That’s not how you work in Formula 1. In Formula 1, what happens on track, you simulate,” he explained.
The former Ferrari engineer noted that a lack of prior knowledge restricts his engineering department’s ability to programme their new challenger effectively.
“This is the first time that we feel we are on the back foot even when it comes to the ability to predict how the car will behave and the ability to anticipate how we can improve the car,” added the McLaren chief.
Searching for a solution
Rival customer outfit Williams reportedly experienced similar difficulties with their powertrains, leaving them equally unprepared for the deployment characteristics in Australia.
Despite the early setback for the team that comfortably claimed the constructors’ crown just months prior, optimism remains that rapid gains can be found.
The 53-year-old believes there is immediate low-hanging fruit to unlock further pace from their current aerodynamic package.
However, he conceded uncertainty over whether these initial optimisations will be sufficient to completely bridge the yawning gap to the factory squad.
