Let’s start with McLaren, which in F1 brings the third version of its rear wing. The British team is allocating a larger portion of its budget to this part of the car, aiming to better adapt to the characteristics of each circuit. This investment supports a clear mission: to expand the car’s famous setup window—an approach already widely implemented last season.
MCL39 in Jeddah: reducing induced drag
In Jeddah, a strong front end is essential to be fast, given the rapid corners and several demanding high-speed direction changes. Rather than modifying the second flap, the British team has chosen to work on the first one, which generates more downforce. Most teams try to keep the second flap unchanged to contain development and production costs that must be spread across the F1 season.
The downforce is concentrated in the central section of the wing, which has a pronounced spoon shape. The leading edge is different, using a less aggressive shape to “ease” the pressure difference between the lower and upper surfaces of the element. Additionally, the chord length of the profile is significantly reduced in the outer area, where the element meets the endplate, in order to limit induced drag.
The goal is to reduce induced drag. The Woking-based team has developed a car that performs well in terms of top speed but believes it might be a step behind other rivals at the Jeddah circuit—namely the other three top teams: Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes, who have shown superior straight-line speeds.
Ferrari with more downforce while awaiting updates?
Ferrari is using the same wing, although a modification to the mainplane is expected to help improve setup construction. We await further confirmation once the change is introduced. The Maranello team is trying to shift the center of pressure slightly forward to better support the front end, which will be severely tested in the track’s high-speed corners. The SF-25 suffers from understeer, and the team fears the car may lack enough rotation in fast sections.
That’s why the setup is being oriented toward the front. A comparison shows Ferrari with a greater frontal area and slightly more downforce. This choice is based on the Italian car’s ability to achieve very good top speeds. At the rear, compared to the MCL39, the Modena-based car features a more pronounced reduction in chord length in the central area of the profile.
This geometric difference depends on the upstream flow orientation brushing against the engine cover. The profile’s angle of incidence is selected according to the angle at which airflow reaches the wing. In McLaren’s case as well, the center of pressure will be slightly moved forward, although the full aerodynamic configuration of the car must be considered to make a definitive judgment.
Woking team looks ahead to Spain
The front end of the MCL39 is very solid, especially in direction changes. So far, the British car has shown a very high level of efficiency, due to its optimal use of wing aeroelasticity, which, as we know, will be completely neutralized from the Spanish Grand Prix onward. The team is already working on this front, knowing they will no longer be able to benefit from this advantage.
It will be very interesting to see what happens when the FIA directive comes into force. Many believe it could shift the balance at the top. However, according to our analysis, the situation should not change significantly, considering that all teams will do their best to adapt to this new aerodynamic setup strongly pushed by the FIA.
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