Photo: Race Pictures

McLaren agrees with Red Bull on key decision ahead of the F1 season opener

16:30, 27 Feb

Updated: 16:56, 27 Feb

byKada Sarkozi

Like Red Bull Racing, the new McLaren will fundamentally look the same in Australia as it did during the final Bahrain pre-season test.

McLaren team boss Andrea Stella explained that the MCL40 will not be completely overhauled ahead of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Speaking to GPblog among others, in Bahrain, he explained: "In terms of car specification, what we are seeing here at the test is fundamentally the car that we will see in Australia.

"There will be a few parts that are being manufactured in the meantime and they will be ready just for Australia.

Photo: Race Pictures

"Certainly working on reducing the weight of the car is always a development item because even if you are at the weight limit you want to be actually under the weight limit, because then you can play with the ballast.

"So I think this is something on which the teams will keep themselves busy for a long time until they are well under the weight limit."

In McLaren's Q&A, Stella specified that only "minor aerodynamic updates" will be introduced for the first race.