(Motorsports news) According to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, a three-stage development plan will result in “pretty much every single aerodynamic part” on the MCL60 vehicle changing. Lando Norris’ car received the initial alteration, which made up 50% of the total changes. Included were an updated floor, halo fairing, engine cover, and sidepod inlet.
A redesigned front wing and nose cone, as well as modified rear suspension and rear brake duct geometry, all for Norris, were part of stage two, which was estimated to be about 25% of the race’s distance. The final component of the update that was initially scheduled for this round has been delayed, according to McLaren, even though teammate Oscar Piastri already has the second suite of modifications for Budapest.
Andre Stella said that “design and production” lead times were to blame, to explain the new schedule, which might go beyond the Belgian GP and the summer break. “So, first things first, Oscar will receive the front wing here,” he stated. The insufficient availability of parts in the UK prevented the development of a replacement front wing.
“When it comes to the upgrades, we really realized that we need a little bit more time from a design and production point of view to finish the full cycle. “So, what we’ll actually see is that some new components will be arriving in the upcoming races, especially post-shutdown,”
Following the first two phases of its upgrade, McLaren made a significant advancement. Norris qualified third for the Austria sprint race and fourth for the whole GP on Sunday. “So, first things first, Oscar will receive the front wing here,” he stated. The insufficient availability of parts in the UK prevented the development of a replacement front wing.
He subsequently followed that up in the British Grand Prix, where he overtook polesitter Max Verstappen to take the lead and finish second, with Oscar Piastri finishing in fourth.
Andrea Stella believed that this outcome was a “milestone” for McLaren’s recovery strategy, which has included building a new wind tunnel and employing top experts from Ferrari and Red Bull as part of a significant reorganization of the technical department.
Also read: What has changed with the new F1 sidepods from Red Bull?
