F1 tech review: McLaren reverses fortunes after poor start
A regular stream of parts were added to the car throughout its campaign, so letâs take a detailed look at some of the MCL60âs finer details and those crucial upgrades in full.
Photo by: Uncredited
Mclaren MCL60 technical detail
A close up of the forward, scrolled section of the MCL60âs edge wing, with three strakes used to help control the passage of the airflow as itâs sent outboard. Also note the metal support brackets which are shaped and oriented to influence the airflowâs direction.
Photo by: Uncredited
McLaren MCL60 detail
A look at the triple inlet pipework connected to the airbox that delivers cool air to the saddle cooler atop the power unit and to the internal combustion engine.
Photo by: Uncredited
McLaren MCL60 technical detail
Under the brake drum cover thereâs a collection of tracts used to deliver cool air to the various brake components.
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
McLaren MCL60 floor comparison
McLaren made changes to its floor edge at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, shifting from a full-length edge wing to a shorter variant with the floor tapering thereafter. The rear portion of the floor around the cutout and the raised trailing edge were also amended.
Photo by: Uncredited
McLaren MCL60 rear detail
A bi-plane beam wing arrangement was utilised in Baku, with a slatted element placed further forward than the lower loaded element.
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
McLaren MCL60 front brake detail
The front brake duct without all the internal fairings in place gives us a view of the brake caliper and its fins and cutouts used to help manage temperatures.
Photo by: Uncredited
McLaren MCL60 technical detail
McLarenâs high downforce rear wing and beam wing combination for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Photo by: Uncredited
McLaren MCL60 detail
A close up of the leading edge of the floor and the fences, including the inboard one which sits above the tide line.
Photo by: Uncredited
McLaren MCL60 detail
The short, scrolled, edge wing section at the front of the MCL60âs floor
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
McLaren MCL60 technical detail
Another angle, looking at the leading edge of the MCL60âs floor and the floor fences, of which the inboard one is isolated, as the other three sit in the outer boundary.
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
McLaren side comparison (Silverstone endplate Inset)
A significant update package arrived at the Austrian Grand Prix, with Lando Norrisâ MCL60 outfitted with the new parts, while Oscar Piastri had to wait until the British Grand Prix for the overhauled layout. The revisions included a new floor fence arrangement [1] and a new sidepod inlet with a raised lower edge that also increased the size of the sidepod undercut [2].
The forward section of the floor was modified, with changes around the topside blister most noticeable but this clearly had an impact on the underfloorâs geometry [3]. The mirror and halo architecture were updated [4 & 5], whilst the shape and length of their downwash ramped sidepod bodywork was also updated [6 & 7].
This had a knock-on effect with the engine cover and cooling arrangements which both had to be modified as a consequence [8, 9 & 11]. Meanwhile, the rear floor cutout was removed and the floor’s edge redesigned to suit [10].
They followed this up with an update to the front wing and endplate at the British Grand Prix (inset).
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
McLaren MCL60 technical detail
An overview of the new and old front wings with the new wing sporting the open-ended flap and endplate juncture (top).
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
McLaren MCL60 nose comparison
The shape of the nose and how it interacted with the front wing was also modified for Silverstone.
Photo by: Uncredited
McLaren MCL60 detail
The MCL60âs rear end detached from the rest of the car, with the metal framework of the mounting pillar, some of the inboard suspension details and the rear cooler.
Photo by: Uncredited
McLaren MCL60 detail
The floor and bib section before being attached to the car, which gives us a great view of the floor fences.
Photo by: Roberto Chinchero
McLaren MCL60 bodywork detail
The internal bodywork baffles also work in conjunction with the cooling gills on the external bodywork.
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
McLaren MCL60 rear wing comparison Monza/Zandvoort
A new rear wing tip section arrived at the Dutch Grand Prix, which featured the open-ended arrangement that many of their rivals had already adopted. A closed endplate cutout panel featured at the Belgian Grand Prix, a design which had been used extensively by Mercedes during 2022 and 2023 (inset) but had its origins with Alpine in 2022.
Photo by: Uncredited
McLaren MCL60 brake drum detail
A look at the rear brake assembly without all the fairings in place provides some insight into how the cool air is delivered to the various components.
Photo by: Uncredited
McLaren MCL60 technical detail
A rare glimpse of the underside of the nose and front wing assembly.
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
McLaren MCL60 technical detail
Flo-viz paint doused over the rear wing and beam wing at the Italian Grand Prix, as the team looked for visual confirmation that theyâre performing as expected.
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
McLaren MCL60 Singapore GP
Another massive update package arrived at the Singapore Grand Prix, with changes made to the sidepod and engine cover bodywork to better incorporate the gullies that weâd seen from some of its rivals.
Photo by: Jon Noble
McLaren MCL60 technical detail
A close up of the deeper gulley present in the ramped section of the MCL60âs sidepod.
Photo by: Jon Noble
McLaren MCL60 technical detail
Another angle showing off the new sidepod bodywork also gives a view of the revised edge wing design.
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
McLaren MCL60 rear wing detail
McLaren also introduced another variant of the open-ended tip section, with a much broader section used to increase the wingâs span, used by Norris.
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
McLaren MCL60 floor development
A new edge wing and floor was also installed on the MCL60, which once again elongated the edge wing, albeit it now tapered to the rear of the floor.
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
McLaren MCL60 detail
McLaren utilised a Kiel probe rake below the rear wing in Mexico in order to capture data on the performance of the wing and the surrounding components.
Photo by: Filip Cleeren
McLaren MCL60 technical detail
A low downforce rear wing and a bi-plane style beam wing was employed in Las Vegas.
Hereâs the list of the components that McLaren listed as having changed in the car presentation document prior to each race.
Saudi Arabia
Rear wing
Diffuser
Australia
Engine cover slimmed
Floor fences
Azerbaijan
Floor
Rear wing
Beam wing
Miami
N/A
Monaco
Floor fences
FBD inlet scoop
RBD lower fence cutout
Rear wing
Beam wing
Spain
FBD winglets
Canada
Rear wing
Beam wing
Austria
Sidepod inlet
Mirrors
Halo
Floor fences, edge wing, underfloor and diffuser
Engine cover
Cooling louvres
Great Britain
Front wing
Nose
RBD winglets
Rear suspension fairings (toelink shroud)
Hungary
N/A
Belgium
Beam Wing
Rear Wing
RWEP
Netherlands
Beam wing
Rear wing
Italy
Front wing
Rear wing
FBD
RWEP (infill)
RBD winglets
Singapore
FWEP (outwash angle)
Sidepod inlet / mirror and stays
Halo furniture
Floor – fences, edge, diffuser etc
Engine cover
RBD winglets
Suspension fairings (toelink)
RWEP
Beam wing
Japan
Sidepod inlet packer
Beam Wing
Qatar
N/A
USA
N/A
Mexico
Larger front brake duct inlet scoop
Larger rear cooling outlet
Brazil
N/A
Las Vegas
Single element beam wing
Reprofiled rear wing
Abu Dhabi
N/A
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