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For its first weekend, all of the new parts were installed on Lando Norris’ MCL38, while Oscar Piastri will have to wait for Imola to see all the benefits offered, since only half of the new components were installed on his machine. .
The changes made are neither new nor revolutionary, with the team opting to make subtle changes to a series of components so that they all complement each other and increase performance across the car’s aerodynamic map.
McLaren MCL38 front wing comparison
Photo by: uncredited
This obviously starts with the front wing, with the most significant change made to the shape of the main plane. The center section now has a much wider and squarer profile than before, while a sharper transition to the outer sections has been used (red arrows).
Consequently, there are also changes to the chord distribution of the upper flaps across their entire span, while the non-movable interior sections have also been revised.
To take advantage of the changes made to the front wing, the geometry and fairings of the front suspension have also been modified, with their angle of incidence modified and their geometry on their wingspan also modified (see blue arrow for example).
Meanwhile, the front brake duct and fins have also been modified to take advantage of the performance of the upstream changes and help push airflow to the surfaces that have been adjusted downstream.
As would be expected, given that this is an area that receives considerable attention in these regulations, McLaren has made the most significant changes to the floor pan, sidepod bodywork and the engine cover of the MLC38.
Pontoons follow the trend in these regulations of finding aerodynamic performance by compromising between reducing the size of the inlet and using it to reconfigure and increase the size of the undercut.
This has the effect of making changes to the shape of the sidepod sidewall, narrowing the bodywork in the midcut and creating more of a high-waisted layout further along the length of the bodywork.
In the meantime, further modifications have also been made to the floor and edge of the adjacent wing, while there are undoubtedly modifications below the surface which are out of sight.
The changes to the sidepod entry are accompanied by subtle changes to the middle of the wing above the entry, as it has been extended forward compared to the previous specification.
The waterslide channel on the upper surface of the pontoon body has now been pushed further down the rear ramp section, as a flatter profile is preferred at the front.
Technical detail of the McLaren MCL38
Photo: Giorgio Piola
Changes are also afoot at the rear of the car, as the team has altered the shape of the engine cover around the shelf section, while also adding a new louvered panel variant to its cooling arsenal.
These new, taller vents extend further down the side of the body and are shaped quite specifically at the bottom to help dissipate heat in a more desirable manner.
Like the changes to the suspension fairings and brake ducts at the front of the car, McLaren has also made adjustments to the rear, with a view to taking advantage of the new efficiency generated up front.
Technical detail of the McLaren MCL38
Photo by: Filip Cleeren
There is also a new girder wing configuration at Miami, as the team has only one more unloaded element at the outboard end to reduce drag on a circuit that demands more efficiency.
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