Quick Read
- McLaren Racing began its 2026 Formula 1 season preparations with a Barcelona Shakedown, featuring a one-off livery.
- Drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are piloting the new car, with Piastri addressing ongoing discussions about McLaren’s ‘Papaya Rules.’
- Cedric-Michel Grosjean, formerly from Piastri’s McLaren garage, is linked to a race engineer role with Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari for 2026.
- McLaren Racing announced Schneider Electric as its Official Energy Technology Partner, building on a 20-year supplier relationship.
- The 2025 season saw Piastri lose the championship to Norris by 13 points, prompting internal review of team principles.
BARCELONA (Azat TV) – McLaren Racing has officially begun its 2026 Formula 1 season preparations this week, deploying its new machine on track at the Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya for a five-day shakedown. As the reigning World Champions, the team, featuring its unchanged driver pairing of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, is under intense scrutiny. Key developments shaping their early season narrative include the unveiling of a unique, one-off livery, ongoing internal discussions regarding their contentious ‘Papaya Rules’ following a razor-thin 2025 championship battle, and the high-profile potential departure of a former engineer from Piastri’s garage to a significant role with Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari.
2026 Season Kick-off and Special Livery
The Barcelona Shakedown, scheduled from January 26 to January 30, marks the first official on-track appearance for all Formula 1 teams ahead of the 2026 season. McLaren, entering the year as the team to beat, has drawn immediate attention by revealing a distinctive one-off livery for the event. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are piloting the team’s new car with this special design, which teams often use during tests to celebrate milestones or signal a new chapter.
The continuity of Norris and Piastri behind the wheel is viewed as a significant strength for the Woking-based outfit. As the shakedown progresses, all eyes will be on how smoothly McLaren’s operations run and how this bold visual statement sets the tone for their title defense in the season ahead. Such early track sessions are crucial for checking car systems, building driver confidence, and refining the initial setup, laying the groundwork for championship aspirations.
‘Papaya Rules’ Under Internal Scrutiny
Adding another layer of intrigue to McLaren’s 2026 preparations are the ongoing internal discussions surrounding the team’s ‘Papaya Rules’ – the core principles by which the Woking-based team operates. These rules sparked widespread debate during the fierce three-way title battle of 2025, which saw Oscar Piastri ultimately lose the world championship to his teammate Lando Norris by a mere 13 points, with Max Verstappen also in contention.
Speaking on the matter, Piastri acknowledged the extensive conversations. ‘It gets talked about a lot,’ the Australian driver stated, adding, ‘Do we want to do things exactly the same? Do we want things to change a bit? We’ll get a handle on that fully before we go racing again.’ McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella also confirmed that the team had received ‘quite a lot of feedback during last season’ and was actively engaged in discussions about potential modifications to these rules. The review underscores McLaren’s commitment to optimizing its operational framework in pursuit of continued success, particularly after such a close internal championship fight.
Engineer’s Departure and Ferrari Link
In a notable personnel development, Cedric-Michel Grosjean, a highly regarded French engineer, has emerged as the likely candidate to become Lewis Hamilton’s new race engineer at Ferrari for the 2026 season. Grosjean departed McLaren in December 2025 after spending the previous season working alongside Oscar Piastri in the McLaren garage. While he is highly respected within the Formula 1 paddock, this move would mark his first full race engineering role in the sport, making it a significant undertaking to engineer a seven-time world champion.
The speculation, reported by Sky Sports News‘s Slater, suggests that Ferrari views Grosjean as a ‘pretty special talent’ if they are indeed planning such a high-stakes appointment. Hamilton, who had a challenging 2025 season without a podium finish and experienced several on-air disagreements with his former race engineer Riccardo Adami, is reportedly open-minded about what a new partnership could achieve. Adami has since moved into a different role within Ferrari, creating the vacancy. This potential move highlights the intense competition for top engineering talent and could significantly influence the dynamics at both Ferrari and McLaren.
New Energy Partnership for McLaren
Beyond the on-track action and internal strategy discussions, McLaren Racing has also announced a significant new partnership with Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader. Schneider Electric will become the Official Energy Technology Partner for McLaren Racing, extending across its entire motorsport portfolio, including the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team, the Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team, McLaren F1 Academy, and the McLaren United Autosports WEC Hypercar Team.
This partnership builds on a more than two-decade-long supplier relationship between the two entities. The collaboration aims to develop and deploy advanced energy technology to enhance performance in demanding environments, from trackside operations at race circuits globally to the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, UK. Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing, emphasized the shared commitment to innovation and energy efficiency, stating that the partnership would explore ‘new ways to make our operations smarter and more efficient.’ Olivier Blum, CEO of Schneider Electric, highlighted that racing’s challenging environment is ideal for demonstrating their expertise in performance, reliability, and efficiency, providing McLaren with ‘energy intelligence they depend on, both on and off the track.’ The focus will include optimizing existing assets, reducing energy consumption, advancing electrification, and leveraging digital twin insights for enhanced efficiency and sustainability.
The confluence of a new season kick-off, strategic internal reviews, and significant personnel shifts underscores the multifaceted pressures and opportunities facing McLaren as it embarks on its title defense. The team’s willingness to openly discuss and potentially adapt its foundational ‘Papaya Rules’ suggests a proactive approach to maintaining its competitive edge, while the movement of talent like Cedric-Michel Grosjean highlights the ongoing talent war in Formula 1 and the critical role of engineering in top-tier motorsport.