The infamous McLaren front wing and how it brought everyone huge disappointment

12:55, 10 Jun

Updated: 13:05, 10 Jun

byTim Kraaij

A ‘game changer’, as the TD was labeled before the Grand Prix of Spain by team principals and analysts. It turned out, as so often, to bring no significant changes. Just another storm in a teacup.

In one way or another, a new technical directive always brings hope. It’s somewhat understandable. Fans of other teams hoping that a small rule change will give the underdog a better chance to win races.

However, this hope for change sometimes goes too far. Not just fans of non-dominating teams, but now also team principals, drivers, and analysts have too high expectations of a new TD. In the run-up to the ‘game changer’ in Barcelona, everyone was so hyped up, that it could only be disappointing.

Whether it was Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, or Mercedes: all thought that the TD would force teams to adapt. Who would be more or less affected was unknown, but the hope was repeatedly expressed that McLaren would suffer the most.

Why were McLaren confident about the new TD?

The mood at McLaren was, however, for weeks the reason to assume that they had everything under control. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris would laugh whenever the TD was mentioned. Its impact would be so little they didn’t even talk about it internally.

The relaxed attitude of McLaren turned out to be right in hindsight. The team had already tested the front wing in Imola, meaning they didn’t even need to bring a new front wing for Barcelona. In the end: McLaren secured the pole position with the biggest margin of the F1 season and claimed a one-two finish.

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piastri en norris lachen na gp van spanje

Smiling Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after the Grand Prix of Spain

This is not the first TD where this happens and will probably not be the last. Hope springs eternal. The important thing to know is that all wings and many parts of the F1 cars are flexible. They are also supposed to bend, otherwise, they would break under the heavy pressure.

In the end, it’s up to the technical teams to interpret the rules as well as possible. At this moment, it’s clear that McLaren have done this the best. Will they win every remaining race in 2025? Not likely. Will they become champions in the constructors' and drivers' championships? After the disappointment of many rivals in Spain, that chance seems only to have increased.

The competition is likely to shift focus to 2026 sooner. As Red Bull top advisor Helmut Marko indicated, Red Bull would also do so if the world title for Max Verstappen is no longer possible. That moment doesn't seem to be far off now.