Smooth Sailing for F1 Teams in Barcelona Shakedown
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella reported that many of the reliability concerns teams had ahead of the 2026 Barcelona shakedown quickly vanished during the private testing sessions. All teams, except Williams, participated in the five-day event as they prepare for the new regulations.

The air of uncertainty that had once hung over Formula 1 teams as they prepared for the 2026 season was swiftly dispelled during the recent Barcelona shakedown, according to McLaren Racing team principal Andrea Stella.
With a significant overhaul of the technical regulations on the horizon, many squads had entered the private testing session in Spain with trepidation about the reliability of their new challenger designs. However, Stella revealed that these fears were quickly alleviated as the cars hit the track.
"Many of the fears the teams had going into the Barcelona shakedown vanished fairly quickly," Stella explained. Indeed, all Formula 1 outfits, with the sole exception of Williams, took part in the five-day test, which ran from January 26th to 30th, as they sought to gain a vital head start in understanding the new machinery.
The upcoming 2026 campaign will usher in a fresh set of regulations, presenting teams with a unique opportunity to rethink their approach and potentially shift the competitive order within the sport. Yet, despite the significant changes, Stella's comments suggest the teams have managed to overcome the initial reliability challenges, paving the way for an intriguing season ahead.
Original source
Motorsport.com
Related Regulations
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Full Regulation Text
Article 2
Information provided by the PU Manufacturer to their customer F1 Teams
Chapter: APPENDIX C5: HOMOLOGATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF POWER UNITS, FUEL AND OIL FOR 2026-2030
In Simple Terms
Engine manufacturers must give F1 teams detailed plans and specifications of their power units in two stages: a preliminary version by August and a final version by November of the year before competition. If anything significant changes after August, the manufacturer must notify teams immediately, and if teams think the changes are unfair, they can ask the FIA to investigate within 7 days.
- Engine manufacturers must provide preliminary technical specifications and 3D models to teams by August 1st of the year before competition
- Final detailed specifications, operating parameters, and installation procedures must be submitted by November 1st
- Any significant changes after August 1st require immediate notification to customer teams and FIA approval
- Customer teams have 7 days to challenge unreasonable changes, with the FIA deciding within 14 days whether modifications are acceptable
Official FIA Text
Any PU Manufacturer intending to supply a Power Unit to an F1 Team during a Championship (year N) must: a. Declare to the FIA, before 1 August of year N-1, that they provided to their customer F1 Teams: i. An initial full external space model of the Power Unit including details and locations of all physical interfaces required by the team to install the Power Unit. ii. Preliminary estimates of important operating parameters such as heat rejection, fuel mass and density, clutch shaft stiffness and engine stiffness. b. Declare to the FIA, before 1 November of year N-1, that they provided to their customer F1 Teams: i. A final full external space model of the Power Unit including details and locations of all physical interfaces required by the team to install the Power Unit. ii. Firm predictions of important operating parameters such as heat rejection, fuel mass and density, clutch shaft stiffness and engine stiffness. iii. Initial details of any other parts, procedures, operating conditions and limits or any other information required by the team to install and operate the Power Unit as intended. After the 1 August of year N-1, any significant change compared to previous communication, must be notified to the customer F1 Teams in due time. Should a Customer Team consider that the change has an unreasonable impact on the Power Unit installation in the car, they may contact the FIA within 7 days of the notification. The FIA will then contact the relevant PU Manufacturer and its customer F1 Teams in order to conduct its investigation. If the FIA is satisfied, in its absolute discretion, that these changes are acceptable, the FIA will confirm to the PU Manufacturer and the customer F1 Teams within 14 days that they may be carried out.
Article 5.1
Definition of a New PU Manufacturer
Chapter: SECTION C: TECHNICAL REGULATIONS
In Simple Terms
A 'New PU Manufacturer' is a company entering F1 for the first time that hasn't built power units before (2014-2021) and hasn't inherited significant technology from existing manufacturers. If approved by the FIA, they receive special benefits and exemptions for 5 years (from 3 years before entry through 1 year after). The FIA evaluates applicants based on their facilities, engine experience, and ERS system knowledge.
- New PU Manufacturers must meet two conditions: no prior homologation since 2014 AND no significant inherited IP from established manufacturers
- Approved new manufacturers receive a 5-year window of special rights/exemptions (N-3 to N+1 calendar years)
- The FIA has absolute discretion in granting status and evaluates applicants on infrastructure investment, ICE experience, and ERS system expertise
Official FIA Text
A PU Manufacturer intending to supply PUs for the first time in year N, will be considered to be a "New PU Manufacturer" if it (or any related party): a. has not homologated a PU at least once in the period 2014-2021; and b. has not received any significant recent Intellectual Property from a PU Manufacturer who is not a New PU Manufacturer, subject to the conditions outlined in Article 5.2 of this Appendix. (together, for this Article 5 only, the "Necessary Conditions") The "New PU Manufacturer" status will be granted by the FIA, at its absolute discretion, for the complete calendar years from N-3 to N+1. In order to be granted the "New PU Manufacturer" status, the PU Manufacturer in question must, upon the request of the FIA, provide the FIA with all of the detailed information or documents requested by the FIA describing the commercial background and details of the PU Manufacturer's business, the Intellectual Property owned by the PU Manufacturer and the technical relationship between the PU Manufacturer and any other related entity or persons (the "Requested Documentation"). PU Manufacturers granted a "New PU Manufacturer" status are given additional rights or exemptions in certain provisions of the Technical, Sporting and Financial Regulations. In order to assess whether the Necessary Conditions have been satisfied by a PU Manufacturer, the FIA will assess the Requested Documentation provided by the PU Manufacturer with regard to three factors: a. Infrastructure: the necessity for the PU Manufacturer to build facilities, invest significantly in assets, and hire personnel with prior Formula 1 experience; b. ICE status: the prior experience of the PU Manufacturer in Formula 1 Internal Combustion Engines, and potential possession of significant recent Intellectual Property; and c. ERS status: the prior experience of the PU Manufacturer in Formula 1 ERS systems, and potential possession of significant recent Intellectual Property.
Article 5.2
Partial New PU Manufacturer status
Chapter: SECTION C: TECHNICAL REGULATIONS
In Simple Terms
If a new engine manufacturer doesn't fully meet F1's requirements, the FIA can give them 'partial newcomer status' instead of full newcomer status. This means they get fewer special advantages and cost breaks than a brand-new manufacturer would normally receive. The level of reduction depends on how well they meet requirements in three areas: their facilities, their engine technology, and their energy recovery system.
- Partial newcomer status is a middle ground when a new PU manufacturer doesn't fully qualify for full newcomer benefits
- The FIA evaluates three criteria: Infrastructure (40% weight for cost/financial rules), ICE engine status (50/50 split), and ERS hybrid system (10% for cost, 30% for technical rules)
- For financial regulations, the reduction percentage is calculated from all three criteria combined; for technical/sporting rules, it's either full newcomer status (50%+ score) or no status at all
- Reduced status means fewer cost cap breaks and fewer technical/sporting regulation exemptions compared to full newcomer manufacturers
Official FIA Text
If, following a review of the Requested Documentation, the FIA determines that a PU Manufacturer does not fully satisfy the Necessary Conditions, the FIA reserves the right, at its absolute discretion, to grant the PU Manufacturer a partial New PU Manufacturer status. Partial New PU Manufacturer status will give rise to a reduction of the additional rights accorded to New PU Manufacturers by the Technical, Sporting and Financial Regulations. The level of reduction of additional rights applied to holders of partial New PU Manufacturer status will be determined according to the weights shown on the following table: Regulations Influenced by criteria Financial Regulations: Cost cap and CapEx limits Technical or Sporting Regulations Param. Infrastructure 40% * 20% * ICE status 50% * 50% * ERS status 10% * 30% * Outcome: sum of three parameters 0% or 100% ** * For each parameter, these weightings are allocated either in full or at zero value, depending on the criteria met by the PU Manufacturer ** For Technical or Sporting Regulations, the Newcomer status is awarded either in full (if the sum of the three parameters is greater or equal to 50%), or at zero value.
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