[Saba Sports News] McLaren driver Oscar Piastri confirmed that fuel system-related issues prevented him from completing the testing program smoothly during the first preseason test for 2026 in Barcelona. McLaren had previously missed the first day of testing, and the MCL40 officially hit the track on the third day, where reigning world champion Lando Norris completed the car’s debut and ran 76 laps. Subsequently, Piastri took over driving duties on the second-to-last day but only completed 48 laps, ranking fourth on the unofficial leaderboard, about 1.97 seconds behind the fastest Mercedes driver, George Russell, of the day. Regarding this, Piastri stated that the fuel system issues encountered during testing shortened their track time, but the team is working hard to identify and resolve the faults. He also pointed out that the cars under the new 2026 regulations are fundamentally different in terms of chassis and power systems compared to the past few years. The primary task at this stage is to identify potential issues, understand how the new systems operate, and gradually improve the vehicle’s controllability and efficiency. In response, McLaren’s performance technical director Mark Temple stated that the team has not discovered any issues beyond their expectations so far. Although the fuel system failure affected the running in the afternoon, the overall vehicle performance was largely consistent with the simulation data.