McLaren confirms more updates for Zandvoort: 'We know rivals will bring some too'
Photo: Race Pictures
21:01, 19 Aug
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Kada Sárközi joined GPblog as an editor ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season. He graduated with a BA in Sports Journalism in the UK and has covered Grands Prix and other F1 events live.
McLaren will bring multiple changes to the Dutch Grand Prix to the rear of the car. A new rear wing is included, but it will not be a 'Macarena' version, GPblog understands.
After winning its first Grand Prix of the season at the Hungaroring with Lando Norris behind the wheel of the MCL40, the Woking-based team is not slowing down.
McLaren has updates ready for Zandvoort
McLaren's Technical Director of Applied Engineering, Neil Houldey, confirmed the updates his team will have ready for the first weekend after the summer break.
He explained: "We head into the Zandvoort weekend after finishing the final race before the shutdown with a win and a strong performance, but we are very aware of how close the competition is and how important reliability will be. We have learned a lot in the first part of the season about how this car needs to be driven to extract performance and on containing the issues we faced earlier in the year.
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"We have also worked hard as a team on continued development with some parts available this weekend focusing on the rear side, to complete the package introduced in Hungary with a new rear wing and new rear brake ducts. But we know other teams will bring developments too."
GPblog understands that the new rear wing will not be a Macarena version.
"Therefore, it will be another tough event, and our focus is on getting everything we can out of the car. If we execute well, we can put ourselves in the fight with the leading teams," Houldey said.
McLaren celebrating Norris' victory at the Hungaroring - Photo: Race Pictures
The challenges of the Zandvoort circuit
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Houldey then continued with discussing the next track on the schedule. "The circuit in Zandvoort offers a unique challenge from an engineering perspective, with its banked corners, high-speed sections, undulating layout and the wind, which can make the car’s handling unpredictable. One of the key focuses for the weekend will be finding the right balance between stiffness and ride performance over the bumpier sections of the circuit, while making sure we optimise the aerodynamic set-up and ride heights across practice.
"With the 2026 cars, we expect cornering speeds to be lower because of the reduction in downforce, but straight-line speeds will be higher thanks to the increased power and reduced drag in straight mode. That changes the way the drivers will approach parts of the lap and means practice will be important for understanding the upgrades we are bringing, refining harvest and deployment, and adapting if the weather adds another layer of complexity."
He concluded: "Overall, we look forward to getting back racing after the break. We are moving into an extremely demanding second half of the season and with 12 races still to come, the team’s attention remains firmly on our own development and performance as we build on the work completed in the first half of the season to target greater consistency in extracting performance from the MCL40."
McLaren is currently sitting third in the constructors' standings, 87 points behind Ferrari and 159 points behind leaders Mercedes.
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Dutch Grand Prix
Overview
Friday 21.08.26
Practice 1
10:30 AM
Sprint Qualification
02:30 PM
Saturday 22.08.26
Sprint Race
10:00 AM
Qualification
02:00 PM
Sunday 23.08.26
Race
01:00 PM
Friday 21.08.26
Practice 1
Fri 10:30 AM
Sprint Qualification
Fri 02:30 PM
Saturday 22.08.26
Sprint Race
Sat 10:00 AM
Qualification
Sat 02:00 PM
Sunday 23.08.26
Race
Sun 01:00 PM
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F1-stand 2026
Season
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | MercedesMER | 219 | |
2 | FerrariFER | 169 | |
3 | MercedesMER | 160 | |
4 | FerrariFER | 138 | |
5 | McLarenMCL | 128 | |
6 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 109 | |
7 | McLarenMCL | 92 | |
8 | Red Bull RacingRBR | 68 | |
9 | Racing BullsRCB | 43 | |
10 | AlpineALP | 42 |
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