McLaren confirms further upgrades for Dutch Grand Prix sprint weekend

McLaren extends Hungary upgrade package at Zandvoort

McLaren will introduce another set of Formula 1 upgrades at this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix as it attempts to build on the momentum generated by its breakthrough victory in Hungary.

The team says the latest parts are focused on the rear of the car and include a new rear wing and new rear brake ducts. The timing leaves McLaren with a narrow window to assess the package, however, because the Dutch event will use the Sprint format and provide only one 60-minute practice session before the competitive sessions begin.

Reliability and execution under pressure

McLaren technical director Neil Houdley said the team arrives at Zandvoort encouraged by its performance before the shutdown, but remains conscious of the closeness of the competition and the importance of reliability.

“We head into the Zandvoort weekend after finishing the final race before the shutdown with a win and a strong performance, but we are very aware of how close the competition is and how important reliability will be,” Houdley said.

He added that McLaren had learned during the first part of the season how the car needed to be driven to extract performance, while also working to contain the issues encountered earlier in the year. That understanding will be tested immediately as the team evaluates its latest components in a compressed schedule.

Houdley said the development work had continued with parts available for the Dutch Grand Prix, describing the rear wing and rear brake ducts as the final elements of the Hungary package. He also acknowledged that rival teams would bring developments of their own.

“Therefore, it will be another tough event, and our focus is on getting everything we can out of the car,” he said. “If we execute well, we can put ourselves in the fight with the leading teams.”

Lando Norris won at Zandvoort 12 months ago, adding another point of interest to McLaren’s return. The immediate priority, though, will be converting the Hungary performance into a repeatable advantage while validating the new rear-end package with almost no practice time.