McLaren brings major MCL40 upgrade package to Hungarian Grand Prix

McLaren targets MCL40 weaknesses with Hungarian Grand Prix upgrade

McLaren will introduce a significant package of upgrades for the MCL40 at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, with a revised floor and additional aerodynamic parts scheduled for evaluation during free practice at the Hungaroring.

The development push comes as McLaren occupies third in the constructors’ championship with 195 points. The Woking-based team trails Mercedes by 163 points and Ferrari by 90, increasing the importance of extracting performance from its latest concept direction.

The revised floor is the centrepiece of the package, supported by further aerodynamic changes that will be assessed across Friday and Saturday practice. The programme will also include a driver change in FP1, with reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli replacing Oscar Piastri to fulfil the mandatory young-driver running requirement. Read more about Fornaroli’s FP1 appearance at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Experimental rear wing remains a test item

McLaren will use the opening practice session to evaluate a developed version of its experimental rear wing, the same component originally intended to run at the Austrian Grand Prix earlier this season.

That test was abandoned in Spielberg after the assembly failed pre-session checks in the garage. The wing did not run and was subsequently returned to Woking for further work.

McLaren has stressed that the rear wing remains an evaluation item rather than a race specification. It is not scheduled for competitive use in Hungary or at the following round in the Netherlands.

Stella sees development direction taking shape

Team principal Andrea Stella has described the Budapest package as an important point in the MCL40’s development trajectory, saying the team now has a clear direction but that some areas took a couple of months to bring into reality.

“We now have a clear direction in terms of development, but in some areas of the car it took a couple of months to get it to be realised,” Stella said. “So, we should see in Hungary the first results of this approach and then hopefully more and more upgrades for the rest of the season.”

McLaren acknowledges that the Hungaroring and Zandvoort are not ideal venues for the car. Both circuits place emphasis on braking and low-speed cornering, areas where the MCL40 remains a work in progress.

Nevertheless, the upgrades arriving before racing resumes in the Netherlands are aimed at those weaknesses. The package therefore offers McLaren a basis for cautious optimism as it looks to build momentum into the second half of the campaign.