McLaren’s Lando Norris slid to sixth on the Bahrain Grand Prix grid after a power‑unit shortfall kept him six‑tenths behind pole‑setter Max Verstappen.
Qualifying Lost Grid Position
Norris set 1:35.757 in Sepang, a margin of 0.005 seconds behind teammate Oscar Piastri, who qualified seventh. The time was six‑tenths slower than Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, underlining a wider power‑unit issue that rattled the team’s straight‑line performance.
Engine Inefficiency Drives Decrease
Both drivers attributed the deficit to a Mercedes engine that McLaren failed to “optimise.” Norris said the problem “has stemmed from McLaren failing to optimise its Mercedes engine,” and confirmed that remaining power‑unit glitches still limit straight‑line speed.
Drivers’ First‑Hand Frustration
“I feel my lap was very strong,” Norris told reporters, but added that “I’m still struggling a lot in the straights everywhere.” He noted that each good exit ends with a slower straight finish, creating a “tough” reality for the race day. Piastri echoed the issue, saying the car’s “runs were slightly shorter than everyone else,” and that despite good long‑run lap times the MCL40 “really exposes” its weaknesses.
Practice Sessions Confound Expectations
McLaren’s weekend was rocky from the outset: 11th and 12th in FP1 followed by no better than third in the final two practice sessions. Despite a positive long‑run performance in FP2, the team’s lack of straight‑line power kept the car in the lower tier of the grid.
Implications for the Race Weekend
The 2026 regulation change put customer teams at a disadvantage because they lacked pre‑existing engine knowledge. Updated parts brought a step forward at Spa in July, yet Sepang has proven further improvements are needed. With the performance gap still unbridged, expectations for a strong Bahrain result remain cautious.
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