McLaren is bringing a major upgrade package to Montreal, but the new front wing is being removed from the car after practice: Team Principal Andrea Stella explains
After Saturday’s sprint qualifying, it’s clear to McLaren why the highly anticipated new front wing won’t be used for the rest of the weekend. Team principal Andrea Stella answered questions after the session and explained his team’s cautious approach at the Canadian Grand Prix.
According to Stella, the new wing was just one part of a much larger update package for the MCL38. “The upgrades included far more than just the front wing,” the Italian clarified on Sky. “There were also some elements on the underbody, on the bodywork itself, and on the cooling system. Most of the upgrades were actually tested and will remain on the car.“
Regarding the front wing, the Woking-based team deliberately played it safe after their initial impressions. ”We simply want to take a little more time to look at some comparative tests in a more thorough manner,” Stella explained, justifying the temporary shelving of the new development on the front of the car.
Minimizing risk in the sprint format in Canada
According to the team principal, the format in Montreal simply doesn’t allow for major experiments. “When you introduce new parts at a sprint event, they either have to work flawlessly right away and you use them, or you just have to be a bit cautious,” says Stella. However, a comeback for the front wing is certain: “We will definitely see this wing again in the future.”
The decision to forgo the new component was already apparent on Friday during the weekend’s only free practice session. The team had started the session with a split strategy to gather direct comparative data: Lando Norris immediately took to the track with the latest specification, while Oscar Piastri began with the proven, older version.
As the session progressed, the Australian eventually switched to the new model as well, but the feedback from both drivers was negative. Because the strict parc fermé rules for Sprint Qualifying were already in effect after practice, McLaren pulled the plug and reverted both cars back to the old front wing.
Drivers complained of a lack of confidence
“We were worried we’d be lagging behind the pace, and I just didn’t have much confidence in the car,” Lando Norris admitted after the subsequent Sprint Qualifying. “But we then made some changes that took us a clear step forward—switching back to the old specification immediately gave me more confidence.”
Oscar Piastri, who ultimately secured a strong fourth-place grid position directly behind his teammate, drew a very similar conclusion. “It was a huge package that the team delivered here, and we definitely need to put a bit more work into the front wing,” the Australian summed up. “We just felt more comfortable with the older version.”
Neil Houldey, McLaren’s Technical Director of Engineering, also backed this decision on Friday evening. “We noticed during the session that the new wing wasn’t quite delivering what we expected,” the engineer said. Reverting to the previous version was the logical step to unlock the drivers’ performance.
After all: The remaining components of the package—such as the new engine cover, the modified rear suspension covers, and the underbody flaps—are working. “The new parts we brought here seem to have helped us close the gap to the front a little bit more,” Houldey said, offering a positive interim assessment of the rest of the car.
