McLaren Brings Rear Wing and Brake Duct Updates to Dutch GP

McLaren will round out its latest development cycle at the Dutch Grand Prix by fitting the MCL40 with a new rear wing and revised rear brake ducts. The components complete the package that debuted in Hungary, where Lando Norris secured the team's first victory of the 2026 season and its strongest overall weekend to date.

Why it matters:

McLaren's aggressive in-season development has turned it into a genuine championship contender, and these upgrades reflect its push to keep pace at the front. With the field incredibly tight and rivals also set to bring new parts to Zandvoort, extracting the maximum from every update will be critical in the fight for points.

The details:

• The latest additions focus on the rear end of the car and finalize the work started in Budapest, which included a new floor and accompanying aerodynamic changes.
• Neil Houldey, technical director of applied engineering, stressed that while the team enters the weekend buoyed by its pre-break win, it is acutely aware of how close the competition remains and how important reliability will be over the rest of the year.
• Zandvoort presents a unique engineering challenge with its banked corners, high-speed sections, undulating surface, and unpredictable winds, requiring engineers to find a compromise between aerodynamic stiffness and ride quality.
• Houldey noted that the 2026 regulations produce lower cornering speeds but significantly higher straight-line speeds, changing how drivers approach the lap and forcing teams to carefully refine energy harvest and deployment strategies during practice.

What's next:

McLaren arrives at Zandvoort with confidence, having won the last two Dutch Grands Prix, but knows execution will be everything. If the team can avoid the reliability issues that ended Oscar Piastri's race in Hungary and dial in the setup quickly, it should be in the mix to challenge for another strong result and maintain pressure at the front.