McLaren hit by fuel-supply issue during F1 testing
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McLaren's Lando Norris celebrates after becoming the 2025 Formula One World Champion at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Dec 7.
PHOTO: REUTERS
PARIS – McLaren revealed on Jan 29 that they encountered a fuel-supply problem with their Mercedes engine during the penultimate day of pre-season private testing in Barcelona.
After world champion Lando Norris became the first to take the wheel of the new MCL40 on Jan 28, his Australian team-mate Oscar Piastri completed 48 laps of the circuit on Jan 29 morning.
“During the lunch break the team identified an issue on the fuel system that required extensive investigation,” McLaren said in a statement.
As a result, their second testing session was cut short.
“There’s a lot of challenges this year up and down the grid, so it was good to get stuck in,” said Piastri. “These cars are completely different to what we’ve had the last few years. That’s part of what this test is about.”
With the upheaval in technical regulations set to take effect for the upcoming season, teams are focusing this week on the reliability of their cars rather than performance.
A clearer picture of each team’s competitive performance will only emerge during the two official test sessions in Bahrain in February, ahead of the season‑opening Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 8.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton hailed an “amazing” amount of mileage on a productive morning for Ferrari on day four of the testing in Spain.
Ferrari failed to win a race last year, dropping to fourth overall, and seven-time world champion Hamilton suffered his first season without a single podium appearance.
They are hoping to be far more competitive this year, although Hamilton’s former team Mercedes are already looking ominously reliable.
“When you come to the test you always want to get a lot of mileage,” said Hamilton in an interview with Formula One television. “Like, today I did 85 laps in the morning which is amazing.
“Last year we had a worse start to testing. So this, considering it’s a completely new band of rules, it’s better than we’ve experienced in the past. So I’m really hopeful that continues.”
Jan 29 was Hamilton’s first proper dry day in the car after rain hit Jan 27’s session, when he and teammate Charles Leclerc were both in action.
Hamilton also said he had got through his programme, before handing over to Leclerc, and had a “bit of an understanding of where the car is at and where we need to improve”.
The Briton is in his second year at Ferrari after joining from Mercedes at the end of 2024. AFP, REUTERS
