What’s behind McLaren’s ‘riskier’ latest F1 upgrade?

McLaren has been Red Bull’s biggest rival in Formula 1 in recent months, despite the Papaya team making no major changes to its cars since the upgrade in Miami.

However, a notable development step was taken at the Dutch Grand Prix, aimed at improving the aerodynamic efficiency of the MCL38 – an area in which its main title rival is so strong.

But despite McLaren’s impressive performance in getting the most out of its 2024 challenger, a number of rival teams are struggling to deliver the upgrades that deliver the desired on-track performance, leading the team to be cautious about getting its expectations too high.

Chief designer Rob Marshall said it was far too early to judge how big a speed gain the changes would be, acknowledging that Miami’s changes may have made the car even faster than even the team had anticipated.

“It was a superlative of what Miami had delivered, it was a bit of a surprise to us how successful it was,” he said.

“Hopefully it’s a decent piece again, but it’s less clear.

“There are a few things we’re not so sure about, some things are a little bit riskier than others. But unfortunately, with the weather as it is, it’s going to be a tough one to gauge this weekend as well, I suspect…”

Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

So, what has McLaren changed? At the front of the car, the team has introduced a revised brake duct scoop, aimed at striking the right balance between the required cooling performance and the impact it has on the aerodynamic flow field.

It is clear to see how the shape of the scoop has been adjusted. More volume has been moved to the upper corner, making the lower part shorter and squarer.

The front suspension fairings have also been modified to accommodate the aforementioned brake line changes, which have had a positive effect on aerodynamic performance both locally and downstream.

The floor and wing edge of the MCL38 have also been modified. There are a number of subtle but significant changes to the geometry and contours of the wing edge.

Additionally, the large, sturdy metal support brackets have been repositioned, reoriented and their high-arched appearance reduced to better match the new surfaces.

This allows the brackets to influence the airflow in a slightly different way than before, without affecting the tendency of the edge wing to flex too much.

What we can’t judge without being able to look under the car is whether any further modifications have been made to the underside of the floor or the underside of the wing.

Other teams have made changes in the past and McLaren may have adopted or adapted this solution as well.

McLaren MCL38 technical details

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

As with the front of the car, McLaren also made adjustments to the rear suspension tubs at the Dutch Grand Prix.

These changes are influenced by changes in the flow field upstream and also affect the surfaces downstream.

In this regard, the Zandvoort team has a new double-decker style spar wing arrangement, coupled with a new higher downforce rear wing solution. The team expects this to become the de facto choice within the family of wings it has at its disposal when visiting locations at that end of the spectrum.

Marshall added: “If it delivers what we think it will, it will simply become our new high downforce rear wing and will make the old one redundant. It’s a bit of a DRS improvement and just a general efficiency improvement.”

Difficult conditions during Friday’s opening run may not have given McLaren all the answers it needed to understand its win, with the team opting to run the old and new specification rear wing options on Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris’ cars respectively. Both are expected to run the same configuration once action begins on Saturday.

It’s clear to see that the two wings are also very different in terms of spec. Not only is there a gentler taper to the leading edge and the geometry of the mainplane surface, but it’s also carried through to the upper flap to allow for that change in DRS performance that Marshall was referring to.

The tip section is also different, although it’s not an entirely new design style for McLaren. The team has a range of options at its disposal here, all of which tie into the family of solutions it has created for different levels of downforce.

Meanwhile, there’s no notch in the middle of the top flap. This is something that’s become something of a calling card in the team’s design language this season, with various shapes and sizes used so far.

Watch: F1 Dutch Grand Prix 2024 – News from the Paddock