The key word is: aerodynamic load. The current ground effect single-seaters seek downforce to turn it into performance. However, in order not to compromise aerodynamic efficiency, it’s necessary to find solutions that don’t turn into drag, which would increase resistance and therefore penalize top speed. It’s essential to improve the efficiency of the floor (which generates 60-70% of vertical load) to try and ease the work of the wings.
McLaren is considered the fastest car: four wins in five Grands Prix prove it, even though a fierce competitor like Max Verstappen keeps Red Bull just two points behind Lando Norris, who’s second in the Drivers’ Championship, and twelve behind Oscar Piastri, the new championship leader after Jeddah.
The Woking team tested a package of aerodynamic updates during FP1 in Saudi Arabia, using them only in the first free practice session on Piastri’s MCL39, while Norris ran with the standard version, in order to collect data and compare the two different configurations.
Some have said McLaren rejected the solutions: that’s not true—the story is slightly different. The technical staff led by Rob Marshall had simply planned the introduction of the developments, and the test conducted in Jeddah wasn’t meant for that particular track, but was preparatory for upcoming circuits.
Last year, the upgrade package that changed McLaren’s season was introduced in Miami, which is the next race on the calendar. The Florida race, first of the three U.S. Grands Prix, will host the second sprint weekend of the season after China, and will follow a format with only one free practice session—making it crucial to quickly find the right setup for the tricky street circuit.
McLaren, therefore, seems to have gotten ahead in anticipation of the upgrades that the main rivals will bring starting from Imola, the next Grand Prix and the official opener of the European season.
At Jeddah, the MCL39 featured a new diffuser, redesigned in the central part of the extractor with the aim of improving aerodynamic performance. Rapid prototyping winglets also appeared in the rear corner to alter airflow in a highly sensitive area of the car, in an effort to boost aerodynamic efficiency.
McLaren is indeed untouchable when running in clean air at the front, but becomes less unbeatable when needing to overtake, as it doesn’t have as high top speeds as some rivals. The head of aerodynamics, Peter Prodromou, is getting ahead with development to avoid losing their hard-earned advantage…
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