McLaren has resolved the power unit problem that compromised Lando Norris across the last two Grands Prix and will introduce a revised technical configuration for the Singapore weekend. The MCL40 will feature enlarged front brake ducts and return to a more conventional rear wing rather than using the heavier H-wing configuration seen recently.
After two disappointing races in Baku and Sepang, McLaren expects to be much more competitive at Marina Bay, where the layout should suit the characteristics of its car significantly better.
McLaren solves Lando Norris power unit problem
McLaren has fixed the issue that affected the performance of Lando Norris’s power unit during the last two races in Baku and Sepang. The reigning World Champion was unable to reach the expected maximum speed at the end of the straights, costing him around two tenths of a second in lap time.
The Woking engineers have worked together with HPP to address the problem and are now confident that Norris should no longer suffer from the same straight-line limitation in Singapore.
The fix comes at an important moment after a difficult run for the team. McLaren is looking to restore its form after recent setbacks, with its broader Singapore recovery plan centred on extracting the MCL40’s strengths around the Marina Bay street circuit.
Marina Bay layout expected to suit the MCL40
McLaren believes the Singapore circuit should be much more favourable to its car. Marina Bay is a highly technical track featuring 19 corners and relatively few long straights.
Andrea Stella has previously explained that the MCL40 tends to perform better when there are fewer extended full-throttle sections, making Singapore a potentially strong match for the car.
The circuit requires high aerodynamic load, which is why McLaren has decided not to use the H-wing, the rear-wing configuration featuring movable flaps. Instead, the team will return to the more traditional specification with long-chord elements.
McLaren drops heavier H-wing for Singapore
The reasoning behind that choice is straightforward. The H-wing is not only less suitable for the characteristics of Singapore, but is also heavier than the conventional configuration.
The technical group led by Rob Marshall therefore had little hesitation in reverting to the standard solution for Marina Bay.
It is a small step backwards in specification terms compared with the newer concept, but one that better matches the requirements of a circuit where maximum downforce matters more than straight-line aerodynamic efficiency.
Ferrari and Red Bull, the first two teams to adopt the so-called “Macarena” concept, have not followed the same path.
Larger front brake ducts introduced for Marina Bay
McLaren’s only new component specifically designed around Singapore’s lower average speeds and high temperatures is found around the front brakes.
The front brake air intakes have been enlarged because Marina Bay is one of the most demanding circuits of the season for the braking system.
At a venue of this type, aerodynamic efficiency is not the principal objective. Generating sufficient downforce and ensuring reliable cooling are more important, meaning the team can accept additional drag if it improves the reliability of critical systems.
The combination of enlarged brake ducts, the standard rear wing and the resolution of Norris’s power-unit issue should therefore give McLaren a more suitable technical package for the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix Sprint weekend.
The circuit itself will also place a premium on traction, braking stability and high downforce rather than outright efficiency, characteristics explored in more detail in the Marina Bay technical circuit analysis.
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