McLaren leads the F1 constructors’ standings. At the moment, they can boast a 41-point advantage over Red Bull, who are not giving up. This is evident from the fact that, yesterday, Max Verstappen took pole position and is the favorite for the 100km mini-race this evening. The Woking team continues to waste important chances. We support this as, through our usual technical analysis, in this case on the Sprint Shootout, we understood that Norris had the potential to take the front row. Even Oscar Piastri could and should have done much better.
The team, led by the former Ferrari race engineer, Andrea Stella, can still play its cards during the Sprint Race at a circuit where, given the long high-speed section in T2, overtaking an opponent is far from impossible, especially if your car’s pace is superior. The British team continues to refine the car, convinced that every small detail that adds value to the MCL38 will make a difference in the end. McLaren’s engineers have shown great capability in delivering updates.
Several times during the current season, changes, big or small, have arrived, and all of them have delivered results that matched the benefits predicted in the factory’s simulations. For the Austin Grand Prix, the English team is bringing several new updates to the MCL38. They chose to do so, despite only having one hour of free practice, which is certainly not the ideal scenario for validating all the components in question. As often happens in F1, until you understand how to fully exploit the potential advantage of a new part, the benefits may not be obvious.
However, it seems that despite gathering data throughout the race weekend to give the engineers and technicians a clearer idea, the satisfaction within the team seems quite positive at the moment. It remains to be seen whether some tweaks to the setup of the two MCL38s can raise the value of the update package and, in turn, provide greater competitiveness to the two McLarens. This step is quite necessary, as other top competitors like Ferrari and Mercedes seem to be taking things very seriously in Texas.
F1, McLaren: More Front Load, New Beam Wing to Manage the Rear
Thanks to images directly from the Austin circuit, we can calmly examine several new updates. McLaren has introduced a series of technical changes aimed at improving the airflow structure around the car through modifications to several key components. One of the most significant changes concerns the front wing, whose geometry has been redesigned to improve airflow management and increase the generated downforce. This new configuration works in synergy with the updated front suspension.
It does so by promoting more efficient airflow through different dynamic conditions. The overall target is to achieve higher overall vertical load, which is crucial for improving the front load of the MCL38. At the same time, the suspension system’s fairings have been specifically redesigned to maximize the benefits introduced by the new front wing. This design adapts to the airflow coming from the front wing and ensures smoother air management around the vehicle’s front end.
The changes also extend to the front brake ducts, whose elements have been updated to better integrate with the modified front wing and suspension. This combination of interventions on the car’s front end allows for further refinement of the aerodynamic flow, with tangible effects on load generation. The rear of the car has also undergone some improvements. The rear suspension fairings have been slightly modified to improve the quality of airflow around the rear of the McLaren.
These changes allow for the generation of greater and more efficient downforce in various driving conditions. It’s worth noting that, much more often than one might think, F1 engineers in the aerodynamic departments of various teams are forced to design for a limited number of dynamic configurations of the car. In this case, McLaren’s solution is expected to improve its performance over a wider range of conditions, a factor that can only benefit the car’s performance.
Finally, for circuits requiring high downforce configurations, a new single-element beam wing version has been introduced. We’re talking about a relatively small car component, but one that can make quite a difference in generating rear-end downforce on an F1 car. This is precisely why McLaren has often modified this true extension of the diffuser throughout the season. This is the fifth version.
This new component features shapes suggesting less load compared to double-element solutions. It’s a part that allows the MCL38 to reduce induced aerodynamic drag, working in harmony with the high-load rear wing and the car’s floor. Once again, the goal remains the same: to maximize overall aerodynamic efficiency, to gain a clear benefit on the long high-speed sections present in several tracks on the calendar. In the case of Austin, it’s found in S2.
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