News

The world champions have had to put in “unprecedented” work, according to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, in order to comply with the new formula one rules this year.

Teams are getting new cars, engines, fuel, and tires in what is widely regarded as the biggest regulation change in history.

For what I can recall, there has been almost unprecedented work behind the design, realization, and construction of the 2026 cars because it has never before been such a significant and simultaneous change of chassis, power unit, and tyres.

But the most significant design project I was a part of, or at least the sheer volume of redesigning that went through McLaren’s last 20 months, is probably the largest.

“All of this makes it very intriguing to watch how the cars will perform and how the order of competition will be muddled up.”

Stella claimed that McLaren wanted to give themselves the best opportunity to design their car so that they could maximize performance before the first day of the first pre-season test in Spain the following week.

The Barcelona Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where teams are permitted to run for three of the five days, is held behind closed doors and with no access to independent media.

Mercedes are scheduled to run at Silverstone on Thursday while the new Cadillac, Audi, and Racing Bulls have already conducted “shakedown” tests on their vehicles. Aston Martin and other drivers are known to follow McLaren’s plan by not running until well before the Barcelona test.

We won’t be testing on day one because we intend to start testing either in day two or day three, according to Stella.

Every day of development, every day of design, we wanted to give ourselves the most time for development, because that is how performance is added.

F1 racing in 2026 “may look a little strange,” according to Stella.

Energy management will determine whether on-track running occurs because the electrical component of hybrid engines currently accounts for only about 50% of the total power output, but there is only so much energy to be recovered.

Drivers will also have to choose how much energy to expend at various points throughout the lap for optimal racing.

The idea that one car can easily overtake another one may seem a little strange, Stella said.

The spectators must understand why that was so easily [done], or even why the battery in one car is already full while the battery in the car ahead is already completely empty. Therefore, something [new] is emerging from a racing perspective.

In order to communicate effectively with our spectators, power-unit exploitation will be of particular importance as a racing and overtaking variable.

Mark Temple, the technical director for performance at McLaren, stated, “We now have a similar battery, but you have more power. So that you can use that much more in a single straight and benefit from the extra battery life in that particular one even more.

“But perhaps your]battery pack isn’t there. You’ll enter the next corner with only what you were able to recover from that corner if you choose to use all of the energy in boost mode. And that could expose you in a following straight, which perhaps wouldn’t have been possible before.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who were competing for the championship last season, were given a different operating model by McLaren, according to Stella, who stated that the agreement to allow them to compete would continue into 2026.

As they attempted to operate in what they thought was fair, the team faced a number of challenging circumstances.

Norris was given permission to compete in the Hungarian Grand Prix, which led to him defeating Paistri, who was ahead in the early stages of the race.

After the Briton lost out following a team’s discussion of strategy and a slow pit stop, Piastri was given the order to return second to Norris in Italy.

And there were instances in Singapore and Austin where drivers had to handle their vehicles as well, with varying degrees of severity.

Both drivers remained firm in their determination throughout because they both wanted the championship to be won the most. Max Verstappen won the championship by two points, with Paistri coming in third.

We talked a lot about McLaren internal racing last year. From that perspective, continuity will prevail in 2026, Stella asserted. “We will continue to race the McLaren way.”

What adds more value is the way in which we have worked with our drivers to achieve success in a collaborative, supportive, and cooperative manner in 2024 and then in 2025.

All of this has helped us to reaffirm in our minds that the values of fairness, integrity, equal opportunities, sportsmanship are essential for both the team and Oscar. They are, if anything, confirmed and consolidated.

However, Stella acknowledged that the team could “streamline” operations.

We all acknowledge that the volume of work involved internal competition, for instance, was significant, he said.

Any efforts we can make to some extent make this racing together more enjoyable. In reality, fine tuning will be necessary because, in the majority of cases, we will state that this is what we will still do in the future.

The world champions have had to put in “unprecedented” work, according to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, in order to comply with the new formula one rules this year.

Teams are getting new cars, engines, fuel, and tires in what is widely regarded as the biggest regulation change in history.

For what I can recall, there has been almost unprecedented work behind the design, realization, and construction of the 2026 cars because it has never before been such a significant and simultaneous change of chassis, power unit, and tyres.

But the most significant design project I was a part of, or at least the sheer volume of redesigning that went through McLaren’s last 20 months, is probably the largest.

“All of this makes it very intriguing to watch how the cars will perform and how the order of competition will be muddled up.”

Stella claimed that McLaren wanted to give themselves the best opportunity to design their car so that they could maximize performance before the first day of the first pre-season test in Spain the following week.

The Barcelona Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, where teams are permitted to run for three of the five days, is held behind closed doors and with no access to independent media.

Mercedes are scheduled to run at Silverstone on Thursday while the new Cadillac, Audi, and Racing Bulls have already conducted “shakedown” tests on their vehicles. Aston Martin and other drivers are known to follow McLaren’s plan by not running until well before the Barcelona test.

We won’t be testing on day one because we intend to start testing either in day two or day three, according to Stella.

Every day of development, every day of design, we wanted to give ourselves the most time for development, because that is how performance is added.

F1 racing in 2026 “may look a little strange,” according to Stella.

Energy management will determine whether on-track running occurs because the electrical component of hybrid engines currently accounts for only about 50% of the total power output, but there is only so much energy to be recovered.

Drivers will also have to choose how much energy to expend at various points throughout the lap for optimal racing.

The idea that one car can easily overtake another one may seem a little strange, Stella said.

The spectators must understand why that was so easily [done], or even why the battery in one car is already full while the battery in the car ahead is already completely empty. Therefore, something [new] is emerging from a racing perspective.

In order to communicate effectively with our spectators, power-unit exploitation will be of particular importance as a racing and overtaking variable.

Mark Temple, the technical director for performance at McLaren, stated, “We now have a similar battery, but you have more power. So that you can use that much more in a single straight and benefit from the extra battery life in that particular one even more.

“But perhaps your]battery pack isn’t there. You’ll enter the next corner with only what you were able to recover from that corner if you choose to use all of the energy in boost mode. And that could expose you in a following straight, which perhaps wouldn’t have been possible before.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who were competing for the championship last season, were given a different operating model by McLaren, according to Stella, who stated that the agreement to allow them to compete would continue into 2026.

As they attempted to operate in what they thought was fair, the team faced a number of challenging circumstances.

Norris was given permission to compete in the Hungarian Grand Prix, which led to him defeating Paistri, who was ahead in the early stages of the race.

After the Briton lost out following a team’s discussion of strategy and a slow pit stop, Piastri was given the order to return second to Norris in Italy.

And there were instances in Singapore and Austin where drivers had to handle their vehicles as well, with varying degrees of severity.

Both drivers remained firm in their determination throughout because they both wanted the championship to be won the most. Max Verstappen won the championship by two points, with Paistri coming in third.

We talked a lot about McLaren internal racing last year. From that perspective, continuity will prevail in 2026, Stella asserted. “We will continue to race the McLaren way.”

What adds more value is the way in which we have worked with our drivers to achieve success in a collaborative, supportive, and cooperative manner in 2024 and then in 2025.

All of this has helped us to reaffirm in our minds that the values of fairness, integrity, equal opportunities, sportsmanship are essential for both the team and Oscar. They are, if anything, confirmed and consolidated.

However, Stella acknowledged that the team could “streamline” operations.

We all acknowledge that the volume of work involved internal competition, for instance, was significant, he said.

Any efforts we can make to some extent make this racing together more enjoyable. In reality, fine tuning will be necessary because, in the majority of cases, we will state that this is what we will still do in the future.

In BBC Sport’s new Eat &amp, Yap series, Alex Scott meets some of the best Women’s Super League players to share the food they love and grew up eating, and talk about life on and off the pitch.

Olivia Smith will forever be the women’s game’s first seven-figure player.

She won her first senior cap while playing college football in her native country at the age of 15.

Aged 18, she signed her first professional contract with Portuguese club Sporting, announcing her arrival with a goal and an assist on her debut.

She joined Liverpool in the Women’s Super League (WSL) at the age of 19 to play for the then-defunct giants, starring right in the right wing to prevent relegation to the second tier.

In July 2025, European champions Arsenal broke the broke the world record to bring 20-year-old Smith to north London.

Alex Scott: So I was told I have to bring maple syrup.

Olivia Smith: You’re a gem, yes. Maple syrup. Beautiful . First of all, I always have, for example, pancakes before a match. I always need maple syrup and I just enjoy pancakes. Honestly, I eat this with everything.

Alex, when did you last visit your home in Canada?

Olivia: Oh – probably in the summer, as I spent my Christmas here.

Alex, how would you define home? Can you build a picture for me of what life was like for you growing up back home?

Olivia: My sister and I both had younger siblinghood. My family were all kind of goofballs I would say. So we spend a lot of time outside, playing games frequently, and having dogs. So I’ve grown up with dogs and just go to the park, play football, play with the dogs. That resembles a typical day, in some ways.

Alex: So your sister plays football?

Olivia, I agree.

Alex: What position does she play?

Olivia is a striker, winger, and midfielder.

Alex: So does she look up to you and want to follow in your footsteps?

Olivia: I hope so, but she says she’s better than I am!

Alex: Does she literally watch your games and say “You should have been doing this” or “You should have scored that goal”?

Olivia: Yes, she sends me screenshots of my game and asks, “Why did you do that?” I’m like, well, “What would you have done”?

Alex, what did she think of your move to Arsenal?

Olivia: She was so excited. She also looks up to a team like Arsenal, and she loves to watch me play, so it’s amazing for me to get the chance to play alongside her alongside Leah Williams and Alessia Russo. She’s really excited for me.

Alex, in Canada, who do you admire most?

Olivia: Christine Sinclair. Both Marta and she are a renowned player in the game, of course. Then I love watching the men’s game as well, so I was always looking up to Neymar, Ronaldinho, Messi, players like that.

Alex: What did your family make of you playing football?

Olivia: I believe my father kind of opened the door for me into football and really helped me develop. He made so many sacrifices for me to be where I am today. He could see that, as I did.

Alex: How would your family and friends describe you?

Olivia: Oh no, you’re so ambitious and crazy. You’re just attacking. My dad always described me whenever I’d play as I’d just take the ball off my own team-mates to go score a goal!

Alex, how did you transition after you finally quit your soccer career and started playing football?

Olivia: It was quite tough, although I had been away from home for a bit before that. However, visiting Portugal, for instance, is completely different. Different language, different style of football. It was quite challenging to learn that on my own. But the support system that I had around me was great, so I was able to adapt, I’d say, quite quickly, which is nice.

And then, of course, coming over to England, that’s a completely different environment, playstyle, and different kinds of people. And obviously it just takes a little bit]of time] to get comfortable. It makes a huge difference on and off the pitch once you establish friendships and are content.

Alex: What would you say is the biggest thing you’ve learned about yourself?

Olivia: Dinner looks different pretty much every day and especially when my grandparents would come by to cook. When you realize it is the best, that is. So we’d have jerk chicken and my grandpa would make oxtail and my grandmother would make something called seco.

Alex, What is SEO?

Olivia: It’s like a]Peruvian] meat stew and rice, and it’s in a green sauce – it’s really nice.

Alex, your grandpas played football, right?

Olivia: Yeah both of them.

Alex: Were there any football games when they come round? Were you watching them?

Olivia: It depends on the day and how I feel, but I do pretty much like to stay at home. I enjoy binge-watching and watching movies, as well as playing video games. So, yeah, games, probably a little bit of shopping because I love to shop.

Right, Alex. So if you’re not playing football, you are..?

Olivia: I’m watching a movie.

Alex: If one song could be playing when you score a goal, what would it be?

Olivia: I’m going to choose A Milli [by Lil Wayne], because I have that song on my pre-game playlists. I think every game.

Alex, what was the last thing you ever wrote in your notes?

Olivia: Oh. a large number. I was playing an escape room game, so I needed to write down all these numbers so I could put it into a code.

What is one thing you’ve always loved about moving to England and saying, “I absolutely love this”?

Olivia: I fell in love with Yorkshire puddings and a Sunday dinner. It’s my absolute favorite thing right now because I adore them.

Alex: Not many people love Yorkshire puddings.

Alex, Let’s consider when we’re gearing up for the season. What are your objectives and aspirations?

Olivia: Ultimately, I want to become a better version of myself as a player. Being at Arsenal will undoubtedly help me with a lot of things that I need to improve on. And ultimately I want to win things.

Do you feel like you’ve settled in and that the reasons you wanted to join the club are starting to come up?

Olivia: Yeah, 100%. Although it took me a while to fully absorb the first few months, the girls have been amazing and have made me feel at ease.

Alex: Talk me through that first day when you arrived at Arsenal.

Olivia: I was absolutely terrified because Arsenal was a massive game every time we played it. Obviously you never know what the environment is like from the outside, and I didn’t know what to expect. And when I first entered, it was completely different from what I had anticipated: everyone was just so welcoming.

Alex: Who’s the MVP, the person that if they weren’t there tomorrow you’d be thinking “this feels strange”?

Olivia: Really, less Russo. She just has that personality and that vibe that you can feel at the training ground. You can talk to her about anything because it’s so cozy. She’s just very sweet.

Renee[/s] has just renewed her three-year contract. In terms of the other managers that you’ve played for, how is she different?

Olivia: She has a lot of ambition, which I think she does throughout the club. Her values match]the club] and match the players as well, so I think that’s just a really great thing to have, and also stability – knowing that she’s going to be here for the next three years. To have a female player empower us is impressive, in my opinion, and that is also why I think that’s important. She also wants the players to feel empowered and to use our voices, which I’ve always said.

Alex: Talking of the next thing, when you’re looking at you and your career, what is it that you want to tick off? What are your goals, exactly?

Olivia: Oh, there’s plenty of things I want to achieve. In the end, I want to win everything. And again, the biggest thing is I just want to keep developing and growing as a person and a player. I believe it’s really important for me to keep developing my character, meeting new people, and just learning.

Alex: You said meeting more people. How have you been welcomed by Arsenal supporters?

Olivia: They’ve been amazing. A few weeks ago, I took part in the [Arsenal Women fan engagement project] Block by Block consultation and discussed how to improve matchdays.

It was really fun because I got to interact with the fans more on a personal level rather than them being up in the stands and just clapping – actually having a conversation and seeing what we can do to make the experience better for them, but also for us as players. Whether it’s music, fireworks, or just making things fun.

Alex: I bet the fans must have been buzzing. Did they know you were arriving?

In BBC Sport’s new Eat &amp, Yap series, Alex Scott meets some of the best Women’s Super League players to share the food they love and grew up eating, and talk about life on and off the pitch.

Olivia Smith will forever be the women’s game’s first seven-figure player.

She won her first senior cap while playing college football in her native country at the age of 15.

Aged 18, she signed her first professional contract with Portuguese club Sporting, announcing her arrival with a goal and an assist on her debut.

She joined Liverpool in the Women’s Super League (WSL) at the age of 19 to play for the then-defunct giants, starring right in the right wing to prevent relegation to the second tier.

In July 2025, European champions Arsenal broke the broke the world record to bring 20-year-old Smith to north London.

Alex Scott: So I was told I have to bring maple syrup.

Olivia Smith: You’re a gem, yes. Maple syrup. Beautiful . First of all, I always have, for example, pancakes before a match. I always need maple syrup and I just enjoy pancakes. Honestly, I eat this with everything.

Alex, when did you last visit your home in Canada?

Olivia: Oh – probably in the summer, as I spent my Christmas here.

Alex, how would you define home? Can you build a picture for me of what life was like for you growing up back home?

Olivia: My sister and I both had younger siblinghood. My family were all kind of goofballs I would say. So we spend a lot of time outside, playing games frequently, and having dogs. So I’ve grown up with dogs and just go to the park, play football, play with the dogs. That resembles a typical day, in some ways.

Alex: So your sister plays football?

Olivia, I agree.

Alex: What position does she play?

Olivia is a striker, winger, and midfielder.

Alex: So does she look up to you and want to follow in your footsteps?

Olivia: I hope so, but she says she’s better than I am!

Alex: Does she literally watch your games and say “You should have been doing this” or “You should have scored that goal”?

Olivia: Yes, she sends me screenshots of my game and asks, “Why did you do that?” I’m like, well, “What would you have done”?

Alex, what did she think of your move to Arsenal?

Olivia: She was so excited. She also looks up to a team like Arsenal, and she loves to watch me play, so it’s amazing for me to get the chance to play alongside her alongside Leah Williams and Alessia Russo. She’s really excited for me.

Alex, in Canada, who do you admire most?

Olivia: Christine Sinclair. Both Marta and she are a renowned player in the game, of course. Then I love watching the men’s game as well, so I was always looking up to Neymar, Ronaldinho, Messi, players like that.

Alex: What did your family make of you playing football?

Olivia: I believe my father kind of opened the door for me into football and really helped me develop. He made so many sacrifices for me to be where I am today. He could see that, as I did.

Alex: How would your family and friends describe you?

Olivia: Oh no, you’re so ambitious and crazy. You’re just attacking. My dad always described me whenever I’d play as I’d just take the ball off my own team-mates to go score a goal!

Alex, how did you transition after you finally quit your soccer career and started playing football?

Olivia: It was quite tough, although I had been away from home for a bit before that. However, visiting Portugal, for instance, is completely different. Different language, different style of football. It was quite challenging to learn that on my own. But the support system that I had around me was great, so I was able to adapt, I’d say, quite quickly, which is nice.

And then, of course, coming over to England, that’s a completely different environment, playstyle, and different kinds of people. And obviously it just takes a little bit]of time] to get comfortable. It makes a huge difference on and off the pitch once you establish friendships and are content.

Alex: What would you say is the biggest thing you’ve learned about yourself?

Olivia: Dinner looks different pretty much every day and especially when my grandparents would come by to cook. When you realize it is the best, that is. So we’d have jerk chicken and my grandpa would make oxtail and my grandmother would make something called seco.

Alex, What is SEO?

Olivia: It’s like a]Peruvian] meat stew and rice, and it’s in a green sauce – it’s really nice.

Alex, your grandpas played football, right?

Olivia: Yeah both of them.

Alex: Were there any football games when they come round? Were you watching them?

Olivia: It depends on the day and how I feel, but I do pretty much like to stay at home. I enjoy binge-watching and watching movies, as well as playing video games. So, yeah, games, probably a little bit of shopping because I love to shop.

Right, Alex. So if you’re not playing football, you are..?

Olivia: I’m watching a movie.

Alex: If one song could be playing when you score a goal, what would it be?

Olivia: I’m going to choose A Milli [by Lil Wayne], because I have that song on my pre-game playlists. I think every game.

Alex, what was the last thing you ever wrote in your notes?

Olivia: Oh. a large number. I was playing an escape room game, so I needed to write down all these numbers so I could put it into a code.

What is one thing you’ve always loved about moving to England and saying, “I absolutely love this”?

Olivia: I fell in love with Yorkshire puddings and a Sunday dinner. It’s my absolute favorite thing right now because I adore them.

Alex: Not many people love Yorkshire puddings.

Alex, Let’s consider when we’re gearing up for the season. What are your objectives and aspirations?

Olivia: Ultimately, I want to become a better version of myself as a player. Being at Arsenal will undoubtedly help me with a lot of things that I need to improve on. And ultimately I want to win things.

Do you feel like you’ve settled in and that the reasons you wanted to join the club are starting to come up?

Olivia: Yeah, 100%. Although it took me a while to fully absorb the first few months, the girls have been amazing and have made me feel at ease.

Alex: Talk me through that first day when you arrived at Arsenal.

Olivia: I was absolutely terrified because Arsenal was a massive game every time we played it. Obviously you never know what the environment is like from the outside, and I didn’t know what to expect. And when I first entered, it was completely different from what I had anticipated: everyone was just so welcoming.

Alex: Who’s the MVP, the person that if they weren’t there tomorrow you’d be thinking “this feels strange”?

Olivia: Really, less Russo. She just has that personality and that vibe that you can feel at the training ground. You can talk to her about anything because it’s so cozy. She’s just very sweet.

Renee[/s] has just renewed her three-year contract. In terms of the other managers that you’ve played for, how is she different?

Olivia: She has a lot of ambition, which I think she does throughout the club. Her values match]the club] and match the players as well, so I think that’s just a really great thing to have, and also stability – knowing that she’s going to be here for the next three years. To have a female player empower us is impressive, in my opinion, and that is also why I think that’s important. She also wants the players to feel empowered and to use our voices, which I’ve always said.

Alex: Talking of the next thing, when you’re looking at you and your career, what is it that you want to tick off? What are your goals, exactly?

Olivia: Oh, there’s plenty of things I want to achieve. In the end, I want to win everything. And again, the biggest thing is I just want to keep developing and growing as a person and a player. I believe it’s really important for me to keep developing my character, meeting new people, and just learning.

Alex: You said meeting more people. How have you been welcomed by Arsenal supporters?

Olivia: They’ve been amazing. A few weeks ago, I took part in the [Arsenal Women fan engagement project] Block by Block consultation and discussed how to improve matchdays.

It was really fun because I got to interact with the fans more on a personal level rather than them being up in the stands and just clapping – actually having a conversation and seeing what we can do to make the experience better for them, but also for us as players. Whether it’s music, fireworks, or just making things fun.

Alex: I bet the fans must have been buzzing. Did they know you were arriving?