Andrea Stella has confirmed that McLaren will have a “completely new car” when Formula 1 returns from a five-week break at the Miami Grand Prix in May. 
The reigning constructors’ champion McLaren is set to introduce significant aerodynamic upgrades for the North American races, as the team aims to close the gap to Mercedes, who have won all three races so far this season. Mercedes, McLaren’s engine supplier, dominated the early rounds, but the last race in Japan was closer, with Oscar Piastri finishing second behind Kimi Antonelli. Piastri could have won but for a safety car period that benefited his rival.
“There was always the idea of bringing a completely new car, especially in terms of aerodynamic upgrades, for the races in North America,” Stella told reporters at the team’s factory. “We have been able to maintain this plan. Obviously, the change in the calendar has helped us a little, as it has surely also benefited other teams, allowing them to work more efficiently on car upgrades instead of being busy racing.”
There have been no races in April after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were canceled due to the conflict in Iran and its impact on the Gulf region. This means Miami will be the fourth race of the season instead of the sixth.
“In both Miami and Canada, we will see a completely new MCL40… this is what I expect from most of our rivals, so it won’t necessarily change the order of the field, but it will test who has been able to add more performance in the same period of time,” Stella added.
McLaren currently sits third in the standings, 89 points behind Mercedes, who finished first and second in the first two races. As two-time defending constructors’ champions and winners of last year’s drivers’ title with Lando Norris, McLaren has less wind tunnel and CFD time than other teams, as allocation depends on season-end positions.
However, design chief Rob Marshall downplayed this disadvantage. “The reality is you have many possible developments you want to test in CFD or the wind tunnel, and some work and some don’t,” he explained. “So if you’re smart and approach it the right way and think methodically… you simply don’t bother with things that aren’t worth it and focus on what’s at the top of the priority list. In a way, that frees up resources, because if you have a lot of wind tunnel and CFD time, you end up testing many nice-to-have things, but we’re not here for that. We’re here to focus on what really works, and that’s what we do.”