Lando Norris qualified sixth for the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, held at the Sepang International Circuit, reporting a persistent straight-line speed deficit in his McLaren MCL40. The issue, which has been ongoing for several events, impacted his potential grid position significantly during Saturday’s qualifying session.
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella confirmed that Norris was losing between one and two tenths of a second per lap due to this straight-line speed disadvantage. This translated to a top speed reduction of one to two kilometres per hour in power-limited sections of the circuit.
Norris’s qualifying time of 1:35.757 placed him 0.627 seconds behind polesitter Max Verstappen. Despite this, he was only 0.005 seconds faster than teammate Oscar Piastri, who qualified seventh.
Had the deficit been absent, Norris could have secured third on the grid, particularly after Isack Hadjar incurred a five-place grid penalty. Hadjar, who initially qualified third, was relegated to eighth for exceeding his power unit element allocation.
Norris expressed frustration following the session. He stated, ‘I felt like my lap was very strong. It’s tough; I’m still struggling a lot in the straights everywhere. I’m just down on every single straight so, every time I get a good exit, I’m just slower at the end of the straight, and it just hurts seeing this every single time.’
Stella clarified that the team is not attributing the problem solely to their Mercedes customer power unit. He indicated that the deficit could stem from various factors, including power unit deployment, chassis parameters, or the car’s aerodynamic drag.
The McLaren team boss acknowledged the team’s responsibility for the performance gap on Norris’s car, noting that they have been unable to resolve it over the past two races, including the recent Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
McLaren will investigate the issue further and aims to implement changes for the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix, as immediate adjustments for the race in Sepang are not feasible.
The 2026 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia is the sixteenth round of the 2026 Formula 1 World Championship, relocated to Sepang International Circuit from October 2-4 due to the 2026 Iran war.
Max Verstappen secured pole position, his first of the 2026 season, with Lewis Hamilton qualifying second. Kimi Antonelli was promoted to third on the grid following Hadjar’s penalty.
McLaren, who were back-to-back constructors’ champions in 2024 and 2025, with Norris securing the 2025 drivers’ title, have faced a more challenging 2026 season under new technical regulations. The team currently sits third in the constructors’ standings.
Oscar Piastri, Norris’s teammate, has shown improved competitiveness recently, with McLaren making adjustments to the MCL40 to better suit his driving style.
