Compared to previous seasons, the McLaren Formula 1 team has adopted a noticeably different and more strategic approach when it comes to introducing technical upgrades. While two years ago the team from Woking used to bring updates to the track as early as possible — even if it meant fitting the new parts on just one car — today the British outfit is taking its time. McLaren now often introduces new developments but delays their use in competitive sessions. What is the logic behind this change in strategy? And what does this new approach reveal about McLaren’s current standing compared to its rivals on the grid?
Two years ago, during its pursuit of a dominant Red Bull Racing team, McLaren’s technical policy was straightforward: bring new components to the car as quickly as possible, even if they were only available in limited quantities. To speed up on-track implementation, in the 2023 season, updates were introduced in phases — first tested exclusively on Lando Norris’s car, the more experienced of the team’s two drivers, before being fitted to Oscar Piastri’s machine the following race weekend.
This philosophy was largely retained for the first half of the 2024 season, with Lando Norris, due to his seniority within the team, usually receiving the full technical upgrade package slightly ahead of his teammate. However, even during the 2024 championship, a shift in McLaren’s attitude toward upgrades began to surface.
Having secured a reputation for building one of the most competitive cars on the grid — often outperforming its rivals with a noticeable margin — McLaren earned the luxury of time. The team was no longer under pressure to accelerate the introduction of every update. The significant technical advantage it had accumulated allowed engineers and strategists to analyze new developments more thoroughly before putting them into full use, particularly with complex parts such as the floor.
A More Methodical 2025: Testing in Practice Before Race Debut
Throughout the current 2025 Formula 1 season, McLaren has brought several updates to the track with the primary goal of evaluating them during free practice sessions. In many cases, these components were tested during Friday practice but were not used during qualifying or the Grand Prix itself. This more conservative strategy has raised questions in the paddock: what motivates McLaren to delay using these upgrades? And what does this say about their position in the ongoing championship fight?
The first notable case of this approach came early in the season at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. There, McLaren trialed a new diffuser during the initial practice sessions but chose not to use it during qualifying or the race. At the time, some speculated that the part had been discarded due to underperformance. However, it was later clarified that it had been a pre-planned evaluation test, and the same component would return in future race weekends.
This same method was repeated in Canada, where the team tested a revised front wing during practice but only used it in a race setting from the following Grand Prix in Austria. A similar situation unfolded at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone just two weeks ago, where McLaren tested a new floor configuration during Friday practice but shelved it for the remainder of the weekend.
Team Principal Andrea Stella explained, “The plan was always to carry out a first test on this new specification.” He stressed that reverting to the previous floor was not an indication of dissatisfaction with the update but part of a deliberately planned strategy. The newly designed floor is scheduled to make its competitive debut during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.
“Since the Belgian Grand Prix is a Sprint weekend, it’s inherently more complicated to introduce a new specification and obtain reliable data comparisons,” Stella added. “That said, we’re very satisfied with the data collected at Silverstone. Everything suggests that the new floor can be used regularly in upcoming races.”
A Position of Strength Allows for Patience and Precision
McLaren’s methodical and patient approach is a reflection of the team’s current position of strength in the Formula 1 pecking order. In a sport where many rivals are forced to take gambles in order to close the gap, McLaren finds itself in the rare position of being able to act with restraint. In every case mentioned, the decision to postpone the race debut of an upgrade was not due to performance shortfalls but rather part of a carefully mapped-out strategy. On-track testing is used to verify the correlation between simulation data — from wind tunnel tests and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) — and real-world performance. This is a vital step in modern Formula 1, where effective solutions are increasingly difficult to find.
It’s no coincidence that many of these upgrade tests have taken place during weekends that precede at least a one-week break in the calendar. This gap allows McLaren’s technical team time to thoroughly analyze the collected data. It also ensures fairness between the two drivers, who are both consistently fighting for top positions in the championship standings.
While this cautious strategy might seem overly conservative, it is also a testament to the team’s growing technical and strategic stability. If every tenth of a second matters, why not rush the upgrade into the car immediately? The answer is simple: McLaren has reached a level of performance where it no longer needs to take unnecessary risks. It can afford to wait, to avoid jeopardizing what already works well, rather than chasing the illusion of gaining a single millisecond.
In contrast, Red Bull Racing continues to bring upgrades to its cars that do not always result in the expected performance gains. Often, Max Verstappen is the only driver to receive the new components, due to limited part availability. Similarly, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team was forced to abandon a significant rear suspension upgrade after disappointing results at the Imola Grand Prix.
McLaren’s strength also lies in its ability to quickly adapt to new technical directives issued by the FIA. During the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, testing a new front wing with Lando Norris allowed the team to verify that the clampdown on flexible wings would not negatively impact their performance.
The evaluation carried out at Silverstone fits perfectly into this larger strategic picture. The new floor is expected to make its race debut at Spa-Francorchamps. “The floor worked well, so we will officially introduce it and mount it on both cars,” confirmed McLaren CEO Zak Brown. “It was always intended to be tested only at Silverstone, and we’re happy with the data. There are more updates coming soon.”
The debut of the new floor will come during a Sprint weekend where other top teams — including Scuderia Ferrari, Red Bull Racing, and Mercedes-AMG — are also planning to bring upgrades, despite the limitations of the condensed format. However, for McLaren, there is no longer a frantic race against time. This is a carefully played game of strategy — a chess match executed with calm, accuracy, and growing awareness of the team’s competitive strength.
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