Following the Australian Grand Prix, the FIA decided to intervene on wing flexibility after Nikolas Tombazis’ technical stewards analyzed footage from free practice showing significant unusual movements. That is certainly a hot topic that could affect McLaren and Ferrari starting from the Chinese GP, but the attention of insiders is not limited to the wings, as the hunt for the MCL39’s secret has begun.
Once again, the discussion revolves around tires. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was blunt in his assessment: “It’s very strange how McLaren can heat up the tires so quickly without experiencing additional wear. Normally, one comes at the expense of the other.”
Horner’s remarks were echoed by Mercedes boss Toto Wolff: “McLaren is perfect in tire management. You can push for a lap or two, but as soon as you go outside the operating window, you overheat and wear them out. They have such a wide window that they can push all the time, in any condition.”
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s papaya-colored cars pulled away in the opening phase of the race, leaving Max Verstappen trailing with his Red Bull. Even after the safety cars, which repeatedly bunched up the field, Lando managed to rebuild a one-second advantage on restarts—something that had seemed to be the exclusive domain of the four-time world champion from the Netherlands.
The paddock’s technical focus has shifted to McLaren’s front brake ducts—the very components the Woking team’s mechanics tried to conceal during Bahrain testing.
Giorgio Piola, after a lengthy stakeout in the pit lane, managed to capture images of the details that have sparked debate across the paddock. The motorsport.com technical expert seized the moment when the upper brake duct was removed, revealing the airflow channels that define the internal corner section.
The MCL39, developed by Rob Marshall, has sought the highest level of interaction between aerodynamics and mechanics, striking an extraordinary balance that has left Red Bull and Mercedes stunned. The brake duct features airflow channels designed to cool the braking system (discs and calipers) by directing airflow in a way that evacuates heat before it reaches the wheel rim and, consequently, the tires.
This is easy to describe but extremely difficult to achieve, requiring specialized testing facilities that only top teams possess. The goal is to channel cool air between the two layers of the brake duct, creating a kind of buffer that isolates heat and extends tire life.
On the MCL38, Woking’s engineers focused on sealing off hot areas, whereas this year’s MCL39 has undergone a meticulous redesign to increase the volume of airflow in the “air chamber.” This chamber has also been divided into separate channels to maintain a more uniform temperature across the entire width of the wheel and, consequently, the tire.
Notably, the air intake has been slightly enlarged compared to last year. Since the airflow required for brake cooling has not changed, it is reasonable to assume that more air is being directed into the corner area.
McLaren appears to be channeling airflow toward the outermost part of the corner to enhance temperature control with cool air. Regarding the tire warm-up phase, McLaren team principal Andrea Stella was clear: “We set goals to achieve with aerodynamics, but we also wanted to improve tire behavior. And I think in the first stint, we were able to open a gap to our rivals, which I don’t believe is solely due to the car. This level of competitiveness surprises us—not in terms of our objectives, but in its magnitude.”
One thing is certain: copying a corner design is no easy task. First, because it is an area of development that requires significant time to refine, and second, because it represents a major cost factor in a season’s development.
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