F1 | McLaren team principal Andrea Stella spots Ferrari advantage over his team in 2026. During Bahrain 2026 F1 testing, McLaren principal Andrea Stella acknowledges a small performance advantage for Ferrari over McLaren.

The Bahrain tests have provided the first insights into the competitive order for the 2026 F1 season. Is McLaren worried about Ferrari? Andrea Stella shares his thoughts.

During the Bahrain test sessions, held from 11–13 and 18–20 February 2026, all teams had the opportunity to run their new-generation cars. Some teams drew particular attention from rivals, including Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull. However, the picture emerging from these sessions is far from final, with many unknowns such as fuel loads still affecting performance assessments. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, however, offered his perspective on Ferrari and Mercedes after the tests in Bahrain.

Ferrari’s progress at Bahrain

Ferrari showcased several updates during the Bahrain tests, with the new rear wing attracting the most attention. Although Lewis Hamilton only ran five laps with it, the component drew interest from rivals due to its potential impact on performance and reliability. According to Sky Sports F1, Andrea Stella discussed what could be the strongest teams for the 2026 season based on the Sakhir testing sessions.

Andrea Stella’s assessment of the top teams

Andrea Stella commented: “For example, today [Friday, 20 February] Lando [Norris] was running quite well in a race simulation, but at the same time, the end of the third day was probably when the track was at its fastest across all six days of testing. So it’s difficult to say.”

Despite these uncertainties, Andrea Stella believes two teams may be a step ahead of the rest: “I think McLaren and Red Bull are probably very similar, while Ferrari and Mercedes are one step ahead.”

His comments suggest that while McLaren has a solid foundation, Ferrari and Mercedes may have gained a small but meaningful advantage in early 2026 testing, setting the tone for a closely fought season.

The 2026 Formula 1 season opener promises to be a fascinating battle of technical philosophies. If Andrea Stella’s observations hold true, Ferrari’s innovative approach and Mercedes’ power unit development have set the baseline for the rest of the grid to follow. McLaren fans will be hoping that the developmental trajectory of the MCL60 will allow them to bridge the gap to the front-runners as the championship progresses through its early stages.