After two consecutive wins, McLaren continues its offensive with a particularly original aerodynamic evolution that will make its race debut at Monza.
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McLaren clearly does not intend to slow down its development pace. After winning the last two Grands Prix, the British team will arrive at Monza with a new aerodynamic configuration specially adapted to the very high speeds of the Italian circuit.
The main curiosity will be the race debut of its surprising rear wing nicknamed “Macarena Wing”. Already seen during free practice in Hungary, the device will be installed for the first time on the MCL40 in race conditions.
The “Macarena Wing” will finally race
McLaren officially uses another name for its concept: the “H-Wing”. This name refers to the “H” present in the Etihad Airways logo displayed on the rear wing of the car.
A way to name an innovation that directly recalls the famous F-Duct used by McLaren in 2010. At the time, the “F” came from the Vodafone logo placed near the air intake of the system on the MP4-25.
The new solution made its first track appearance during free practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Leonardo Fornaroli, McLaren’s reserve driver, then tested it on the car usually driven by Oscar Piastri.
A successful first test in Hungary
McLaren took advantage of this session to perform several controlled aerodynamic runs as well as braking tests. The wing was then removed before qualifying, the goal being only to collect data.
Andrea Stella was satisfied with the results obtained, mentioning a positive validation of the concept and confirming that McLaren was already considering reusing it in upcoming races.
This moment will finally come at Monza. On a circuit where drag reduction is one of the main technical priorities, this configuration could offer a valuable advantage on the long straights.
Ferrari had started the trend
However, McLaren is not the first team to explore this solution. The concept initially attracted attention on the Ferrari during pre-season testing before being adopted by other teams.
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Red Bull notably developed its own interpretation, before finally setting this solution aside after several high-speed spins by Max Verstappen.
McLaren seems to have continued its development and now believes its system is mature enough to be used in races.
Several new features planned for Monza
The “H-Wing” will not be the only evolution brought by McLaren in Italy. The team will also have a new low-drag rear wing as well as several small aerodynamic options aimed at optimizing top speed.
“This weekend, we have brought what we consider necessary to be competitive, including a new low-drag rear wing specification with, for the first time, our H-Wing”, explains Neil Houldey, McLaren’s technical director.
However, the team will only decide on its final configuration after free practice. “We also have some small aerodynamic and low-drag options that we will evaluate before choosing the final specification for qualifying.”
McLaren believes the MCL40 still has potential
These new features arrive as McLaren is going through its best period of the season. Lando Norris has just won two consecutive Grands Prix in Hungary and the Netherlands, confirming the considerable progress made by the MCL40 over the past few weeks.
Despite this momentum, the British team considers that it is still far from having exploited all the potential of its car.
“Overall, we know there is still performance to be extracted from the MCL40, both by maximizing the package we already have and with the new developments planned for the upcoming races”, emphasizes Houldey.
After winning the last two rounds, McLaren arrives at Monza with a new weapon in its arsenal. Now it remains to be seen if this spectacular “Macarena Wing” will allow the MCL40 to continue its winning streak at the temple of speed.
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