McLaren reveals six key changes in Dutch GP F1 upgrade

The Woking-based team has emerged as Red Bull’s most consistent challenger of late and will be keen to beat its Milton Keynes rivals to the Constructors’ Championship.

McLaren has been in good form since the major overhaul of the MCL38 that helped the team win the Miami Grand Prix in May, despite the fact that the team has opted not to make any major changes so far, preferring to continue improving what it already has.

In the document McLaren submitted to the FIA ​​explaining the car’s new components, the company provided an overview of the key areas that have been modified.

These are:

• New brake scoop designed to improve downstream airflow conditions and thus reduce aerodynamic loads.
• Revised front suspension to optimise the changed airflow from the front brake geometry
• New floor edge provides more down pressure on that area and also improves flow control of the rest of the underbody.
• Modified rear suspension to improve airflow around the rear corners, diffuser and spar wing area
• New high-downforce rear wing focused on performance for the demands of Zandvoort-style circuits
• New spar wing that works in conjunction with the revised rear wing.

Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Team, and Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Team

Photo by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Images

When asked what the aim of the upgrades was, Norris said: “To go faster, to provide more grip and we go faster.

“We haven’t really had an upgrade since Miami. We’ve added little things to the car, but nothing that can really be called an upgrade. It’s just been small steps forward, but nothing that’s been a pure performance step – like a lot of other teams have done in the last few races.

“In a good sense, we’ve taken the time to understand things properly and we’ve seen other teams put things on the car that didn’t necessarily work.

“We wanted to make sure we avoided that. So we were patient. I think we paid the price in the last four races, but we had some great races compared to other teams that had upgrades.”

Williams brings first major upgrade

McLaren is not the only one bringing a big upgrade to the Dutch GP. Williams is also coming with a considerable renewal of its car.

After focusing on getting rid of the FW46 in the early stages of the season, attention now turns to more traditional performance improvements.

The changes to the car that Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant will race include:

• An updated floor housing as part of a completely new floor geometry
• A re-profiling of the diffuser
• Revised sidepod intake geometry, with the upper surface longer than the lower surface.
• The sidepod gully design has been changed and the bonnet profile has been modified
• New main roll bar geometry, with redesigned internal channels and external aerodynamic surfaces.
• This has also led to weight gain.

Albon hoped that this development, after a difficult first half of the season, would increase Williams’ chances of scoring points in the remainder of the season.

“I would say this is our first real upgrade we’ve had this year,” he explained. “So let’s see where it takes us.

“I think we’ve been able to hold on a little bit. There’s also some weight, which always helps when it comes off the car. This should also take us a little bit further.”