McLaren’s latest MCL40 upgrades delivered more than additional aerodynamic downforce at Zandvoort. Among the changes introduced for the Dutch Grand Prix were new front wheel rims and wheel covers designed to help bring the front tyres up to temperature more effectively, a subtle development that proved particularly useful in qualifying.
Details can often make the difference in Formula 1. McLaren’s Dutch Grand Prix triumph, its second consecutive victory after Budapest, confirmed an important trend: the developments introduced both before and after the summer break have not only worked by restoring some of the aerodynamic load the MCL40 had been missing, but have also allowed the team to make a significant step forward.
McLaren MCL40 upgrades strengthen its high-speed performance
McLaren’s strengths had already emerged in Spain and again at Spa, where the best version of the MCL40 seen up to that point was on display. The faster and longer the corner – because it is not simply a question of outright cornering speed – the more competitive the car becomes, and the latest upgrades have supplied the extra downforce that has helped make it the benchmark in those sections.
The scale of the improvement even surprised McLaren internally, as the performance demonstrated through the fastest sections exceeded the team’s own expectations. The development programme had already continued ahead of Zandvoort, with McLaren introducing further MCL40 rear-end upgrades for the Dutch Grand Prix.
However, another element of McLaren’s Zandvoort success received considerably less attention: the debut of new front wheel rims, something Technical Director Neil Houldey had previewed ahead of the weekend: “We’ve introduced a small change at the rear of the floor to generate a little extra downforce, together with some minor changes to the rear brake ducts. We also have new front wheel rims, which will help us generate more temperature in the tyres. These updates are not substantial in terms of lap time, but they help make us a little more competitive.”
Why McLaren’s new front wheel rims matter
The significance of that change becomes clearer when considering some of the MCL40’s earlier weaknesses. After the Dutch Grand Prix, Andrea Stella correctly pointed out that both Budapest and Zandvoort were high-downforce circuits that suited the McLaren particularly well.
Zandvoort’s demands were expected to play to the MCL40’s strengths, with the combination of fast corners, tyre management and set-up compromises forming a major part of the technical challenge ahead of the 2026 Dutch Grand Prix.
Monaco, however, provides an interesting contrast. Before that weekend, Andrea Stella had not hidden his hope that McLaren could fight at the front and repeat its victory from the previous year, yet the car failed to shine. The problem in Monte Carlo was not primarily linked to the speed of the corners. In Monaco, teams have greater freedom in defining the set-up because fewer compromises are required. Instead, McLaren’s difficulties were connected to a lack of downforce and problems bringing the front tyres into their operating window, which reduced grip.
The same limitation had already appeared in Australia and China, where the MCL40 suffered a degree of graining.
Front tyre warm-up was a concern at Zandvoort
One of McLaren’s concerns before the Zandvoort weekend was the possibility of triggering graining on the front axle, although in practice the problem proved relatively limited. The main challenge was ensuring the tyres reached the correct temperature effectively, including over a single qualifying lap. That became especially clear during the final Q3 attempts on Saturday. McLaren was able to produce the pole-position lap immediately, while other teams – Ferrari among them – struggled to bring the tyres up to temperature and needed to complete an additional lap.
Tyre behaviour was one of the central themes of the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, with the available compounds and strategic options also shaping the Pirelli tyre strategy outlook for Zandvoort. This is where the new McLaren wheel rims become particularly relevant. From 2026, wheel rim development has once again become an area in which teams have greater freedom and, as explained in a Motorsport.com technical analysis, it has become an additional and important tool for managing tyre temperatures and operating pressures.
How McLaren uses the wheel rim to influence tyre temperature
Depending on the construction of the wheel rim, specific cavities can allow engineers to passively manage the way air interacts with the tyre and wheel assembly. At Zandvoort, McLaren targeted precisely this area in an effort to generate higher temperatures in the wheel rim and, consequently, in the tyre itself. Significantly, only the front rim – produced by McLaren’s long-standing Japanese partner Enkei – was modified.
The team also introduced a more enclosed wheel cover, reducing the effect of cooler external air entering the area. The objective was to retain more heat around the front wheel assembly and help the tyres reach their ideal operating window more effectively. The rear rims, by contrast, remained unchanged. Teams already had to contend with rear tyre wear during the weekend, an issue made more pronounced by the strong winds that caused the cars to slide through Zandvoort’s fast corners.
In those high-speed sections, additional aerodynamic load is particularly valuable for keeping the car stable, while rear grip is equally important through the traction zones on the exits of slower corners.
McLaren’s victory therefore cannot be attributed to a single development. Zandvoort naturally suited the characteristics of the MCL40, while its aerodynamic updates had already strengthened the car in precisely the type of long, fast corners where it performs best. But the new front wheel rims added another useful tool by helping McLaren bring its tyres into the correct temperature window more quickly – a small technical detail that could make an important difference when margins at the front of Formula 1 are measured in hundredths of a second.
