McLaren To Give Discarded Front Wing Another Chance At Monaco

McLaren introduced the second stage of a major upgrade package to its MCL40 at the Canadian Grand Prix, featuring a new front wing among several changes.
The update also included a revised engine cover, rear suspension fairings, and floor edges as part of the team’s development push.
However, both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri chose to revert to the previous front wing specification ahead of sprint qualifying during the weekend.
The decision to shelve the wing came after drivers struggled to find confidence with the new design during the limited running available.
Sprint weekends present a particular challenge for introducing upgrades because teams have only one practice session to evaluate new components on track.
Norris used the new wing throughout practice while Piastri ran the previous specification for the first part of the session before switching across.
Track conditions at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve also complicated the evaluation, as the surface was very green initially and grip levels were evolving throughout the session.
Team principal Andrea Stella explained that the wing’s on-track characteristics did not fully match what the team had expected from their simulations.
“We knew that this front wing had some element of deviation from an aerodynamic point of view,” said Stella, highlighting the importance of understanding the discrepancy before committing to the design.
Understanding that gap between simulation and reality is critical given how significantly the front wing influences the entire aerodynamic map of the car.
Stella also noted that Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, as a high-kerb-riding, confidence-dependent circuit, was not the ideal venue to make a definitive judgement on the new component.
“And also for this kind of circuit, the wing would have been better, but it wouldn’t have been a game changer,” Stella added, explaining the team’s cautious approach.
Norris himself left the door open for the wing’s return, though he stopped short of making any firm commitments about Monaco.
“We need to just make sure it works properly next time,” said Norris after the race. “It’s not a guarantee we’re going to run it in Monaco, but we’ll do tests to see if we can make it work better.”
Stella was more definitive, confirming the team fully intends to assess the wing again at the next round, even if a final race decision has not yet been made.
“While we’ve been pretty much always successful in the past, not necessarily the upgrades that we have taken to a certain event, we have introduced them for that event,” Stella said, pointing to the team’s exploratory approach to development.
“So we will definitely see this wing again in Monaco,” Stella confirmed, making clear the component has not been abandoned despite the difficult weekend in Canada.
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