Analysis
Formula 1
Tech analysis: How McLaren lifted its game at Spanish GP
Waiting for Honda to make strides is not an option for McLaren, and so the team has been busy developing the MCL32 with its latest update appearing at Barcelona.
Matt Somerfield Giorgio Piola
Edited: May 18, 2017, 12:41 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Giorgio Piola's F1 technical analysis
Giorgio Piola is the preeminent Formula 1 technical journalist. View our full selection of Giorgio's technical illustrative content
This may seem like a slightly futile endeavour, but there is no point storing up all those ideas being created at the factory for when Honda does produce the goods as every tenth of a second of performance will help.
The front wing is always a hotbed of development activity, such is its role in providing performance for the entire car.
Each and everyone of its surfaces is designed to set up and manage how the air moves around the rest of the car, with the control of the wake generated by the front tyre of utmost importance.
The changes made by McLaren for Spain centered around achieving this goal, with the shape of the mainplane slightly revised to encourage airflow to move across and around the front face of the tyre in a specific way.
Meanwhile, the most visceral change came at the hands of the inner endplate canard, with the single element previously utilised cast aside in favour of three wider elements.
The role of these winglets is to guide the airflow around the front tyre, with the intention of drawing the wake away from areas of the car it may reduce performance on downstream too.
Bargeboards
McLaren MCL32 bargeboard detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Over the last few GPs the team has been optimising this area of the car, with the bargeboard's footplate (red arrow) receiving more detailing in order to improve the way airflow moves around the surface and onward to the floor downstream.
Diffuser
McLaren MCL32 rear detail
Photo by: Sutton Images
The team introduced a new diffuser in Spain, taking onboard something we've already seen adopted by Mercedes and Red Bull this season: a vertical slot in the outside wall of the diffuser.
The introduction of the slot, which is there to change the rotation of the vortex that forms at the diffuser's outer edge, is not the only change though, with geometric alterations made to the wall and perforated gurneys above (see inset for comparison).
Floor
McLaren MCL32 floor detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
McLaren treats this area of the floor very differently to the rest of the teams.
Instead of littering the edge of their floor with slots like the rest of the field, McLaren has opted to place a triangular wedge on the outer periphery of the floor and a curved upstand on the trailing edge as they tackle the issue of tyre squirt in a different fashion.
These surfaces, like the slots, are used to manipulate the airflow before it reaches the tyre - in order to reduce the turbulence created by the tyre that can have a negative impact on the performance of the diffuser.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Carey keen to replace "infamous" Concorde Agreement
Next article Vandoorne column: Spain frustration hid McLaren's progress
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Matt Somerfield
Gallery: How F1 tech evolved during the 2024 season
Formula 1
Formula 1
Gallery: How F1 tech evolved during the 2024 season
How McLaren’s rear wing push changed the game in F1
Formula 1
Formula 1
How McLaren’s rear wing push changed the game in F1
How 2026 F1 rules will help avoid identikit designs
Formula 1
Formula 1
How 2026 F1 rules will help avoid identikit designs
More from
McLaren
What's behind Oscar Piastri's split with Mark Webber – and what it means for his F1 career
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
2 h
What's behind Oscar Piastri's split with Mark Webber – and what it means for his F1 career
Malthe Jakobsen completes McLaren's WEC Hypercar driver line-up
WEC
WEC 3 h
Malthe Jakobsen completes McLaren's WEC Hypercar driver line-up
Latest news
Alex Bowman hits out at critics in snarky post, shooting down early exit rumors
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
40 min
Alex Bowman hits out at critics in snarky post, shooting down early exit rumors
Ryan Blaney gets sweet redemption after 'nightmares' following 2024 Homestead loss
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
1 h
Ryan Blaney gets sweet redemption after 'nightmares' following 2024 Homestead loss
IndyCar 2026 season review: Dale Coyne Racing
IndyCar
Indy IndyCar 1 h
IndyCar 2026 season review: Dale Coyne Racing
Noah Gragson apologizes to Daniel Suarez for spinning him at Homestead
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Homestead-Miami
1 h
Noah Gragson apologizes to Daniel Suarez for spinning him at Homestead
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe