After not introducing updates in Spain due to the new technical directive, McLaren arrived in Canada with an updated front wing, a new rear wing, and modified suspension.
The McLaren team left behind a peculiar Canadian weekend: after dedicating Friday practice to testing updates, they did not shine in qualifying nor in the race, partly due to track conditions that did not fully favor the British car.
Despite this, McLaren remains one of the main forces in the championship, and the updates introduced and tested aim precisely to consolidate this position.
In Spain, the new technical directive on front wings came into effect, forcing all teams to modify them. Most had to not only reinforce the internal structure of the wing but also redesign some parts. McLaren, however, chose to bring to Barcelona the same wing used at the start of the season, simply reinforced to comply with the new FIA regulation.
In Canada, however, they introduced a new front wing with the goal of improving aerodynamic performance in a wider operating range, increasing the so-called “usage window” of the car.
The new front wing
Besides subtle modifications to the main elements, the presence of new “siren tails” stands out in the junction area between the flaps and the endplate. This solution allows more efficient management of the airflow toward the outside, increasing the outwash effect and generating aerodynamic vortices differently from the previous front wing specification.
This choice is not new: several teams have already worked on the front wing, especially in the lateral area, to compensate for the reduction of the outwash effect imposed by the new directive.
Since the front wing is the first element to impact the airflow, it is essential that it is designed optimally, but it is equally important that it interacts synergistically with the rest of the car’s aerodynamics.
For this reason, McLaren also modified the front suspension wishbone arms by reshaping their fairing. It is an apparently minor and hardly visible intervention but can influence the feedback perceived by the drivers while driving.
A new rear wing
A new medium-downforce rear wing was also introduced, still with the characteristic V-profile, designed to make the car more efficient and adaptable to a greater number of circuits, which should ensure better drag resistance.
This new rear wing becomes part of the wing package available before each Grand Prix, increasing the precision in choosing the aerodynamic load best suited for each race weekend.
The new front wing was tested by both drivers in the first free practice sessions but then set aside for the rest of the weekend in favor of the previous version. The Canadian weekend thus proved useful for the British team to gather valuable data for the development of the MCL39, especially on the front wing, recently affected by the technical directive on flexible wings.
McLaren remains one of the main title contenders, but the renewed competitiveness of Mercedes and Red Bull shows that performance drops cannot be allowed: it will be crucial to continue developing the car to defend the leadership.
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