McLaren is continuing to throw all it can at its efforts to win Formula 1’s titles this year, with a new rear wing being introduced for the Brazilian Grand Prix.
While there remains a great deal of uncertainty over the weather this weekend, which could prompt a huge rethink of wing levels if rain arrives, this new wing is aimed at offering Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri an extra option in terms of downforce and drag levels if it stays dry.
This new design seems to fit between the medium and low downforce offerings that McLaren already has in its pool of options.
In terms of the rear wing’s design, the main structure is similar to what we have come to expect from McLaren – as it retains the same features as the squad’s other options.
However, there’s a change in the design of the mainplane, with a much deeper central section and steeper almost V-shaped leading edge that feeds out towards the endplate.
The leading edge of the mainplane is also extruded upwards more than we see with some of the other wings within the family. It is this which provides the necessary effect McLaren’s aerodynamicists are looking for.
While this design might seem a little different to what the rest of the grid are currently doing, it is certainly by no means new.
During this regulatory era, Aston Martin and Alpine having toyed with similar solutions, while under previous rule sets, the 2009-16 tall but narrow spoon-shaped rear wing solutions took a similar design direction.
While the wing will likely run in practice, that does not mean it is guaranteed to be used for the rest of the race weekend.
For it may be a little out of kilter for the challenges posed by the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, which is another circuit that sits at altitude, albeit not at the dizzying heights of Mexico. But given that McLaren didn’t run with its highest downforce offering in Mexico, even though that has traditionally been the case there in the past, it might be the same in Brazil, with another reduction in downforce and drag possible.
Teams are certainly becoming more adept at balancing their downforce demands with differing beam wing choices - something that McLaren may choose to work on with this new rear wing solution to get the best from their package.
As well as the new rear wing which is pitched at a different downforce level, McLaren has also added two new beam wings to its pool.
One is a high downforce version, and the other is low downforce – with the idea being that the best version can be chosen to work alongside the new rear wing for the perfect performance levels to balance out straightline speed and cornering potential.
