Rivals gained, but McLaren still ahead - Marko

The FIA's tougher flexi-wing regulations may have levelled the field slightly, but McLaren still appears to be the benchmark.

New front wing stiffness tests introduced in Barcelona were expected to hit McLaren hardest. But Mercedes driver George Russell was quick to joke: "Well, it's certainly slowed McLaren down a lot," in a clear nod to the team's continued dominance.

With teams juggling their final 2025 developments and major regulation shifts for 2026, resources are tight. According to former AlphaTauri boss Franz Tost, Barcelona marks the end of big 2025 updates.

"These will be the last major changes this season," Tost told Auto Bild.

"After Barcelona, everyone will focus on building a car for 2026. The Barcelona performance level will remain roughly the same for the rest of the season."

Despite holding a slim lead in the standings, McLaren driver Oscar Piastri remains cautious.

"Our opponents look fast," said the Australian. "Max (Verstappen) was with us all day, and Ferrari and Mercedes are also close."

Piastri revealed that McLaren had already prepared for the stiffer wing rules.

"Lando (Norris) has had a wing like this on his car before to get a feel for it," he said.

Red Bull's Helmut Marko agreed that while the gap has shrunk, McLaren remains slightly ahead.

"Ferrari and Mercedes have closed the gap," said the veteran advisor. "And so have we.

"As far as the wings are concerned, I still see a slight advantage for McLaren. But the others are close. Now it's about fine tuning.

But the big jump for the McLaren competition, which some had predicted, didn't happen."