At Zandvoort, the MCL40 will evolve again, and with 12 Grands Prix still to be contested, McLaren seems determined to turn its return to the top into a lasting trend to retain the world titles.
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McLaren does not intend to ease off after its victory in Hungary.
Revived by Lando Norris’s convincing success at the Hungaroring, the Woking team arrives at Zandvoort with new developments aimed at continuing the development of its MCL40.
Reinterpreted rear wing
These novelties will mainly focus on the rear of the car and will complement the package introduced at the previous Grand Prix. McLaren will notably have a new rear wing, which could mark the race debut of its own interpretation of the concept nicknamed “Macarena,” as well as new rear brake ducts.
“This weekend, the team will introduce new elements as part of its development program. These parts will be focused on the rear to complement the package introduced in Hungary, with a new rear wing and new rear brake ducts,” explained team principal Andrea Stella.
The goal will be to quickly validate these elements in a weekend where every minute of running will be important.
Reliability remains the priority
Norris’s success in Hungary confirmed McLaren’s return to the front after a more complicated start to the season than hoped. But at Woking, no one considers the work done. Neil Houldey, technical director of applied engineering at McLaren, notably insists on one essential element: the MCL40 must now combine performance and reliability.
“We arrive at Zandvoort after finishing the last race before the break with a victory and a solid performance, but we are fully aware of the closeness of the competition and the importance of reliability,” he explains.
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McLaren also believes it has made considerable progress in understanding its car: “We have learned a lot during the first part of the season about how this car must be driven to extract performance, as well as how to manage the problems encountered earlier in the year.”
But the British know their rivals will not remain idle: “We know that other teams will also bring developments. So it will be another tough weekend and our goal will be to get absolutely everything out of the car. If we execute our weekend correctly, we can fight with the front teams.”
Zandvoort suits McLaren
The Dutch circuit also brings back excellent memories for McLaren. The team won the last two editions of the Dutch Grand Prix, with Lando Norris in 2024 and then Oscar Piastri in 2025.
A streak McLaren hopes to extend as a particularly intense second half of the championship begins: “We are entering an extremely demanding second part of the season and, with 12 races still to go, the team’s focus remains entirely on our own development and performance,” emphasizes Houldey.
The Budapest victory has therefore changed nothing in McLaren’s approach. On the contrary, it seems to have confirmed that the direction taken with the latest developments is the right one.
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