McLaren bring their next major upgrade package to Hungary

McLaren will introduce a significant upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Team principal Andrea Stella confirmed the plan after the British race. The work targets a performance gap that remained visible at Silverstone and Spa.

The announcement concerns new parts for the MCL40, not a complete redesign. McLaren has not published drawings or promised a specific lap-time gain. Friday practice will provide the first direct comparison on the Hungaroring.

Silverstone exposed the remaining deficit

Lando Norris finished fourth at Silverstone after starting sixth. A sound strategy helped him benefit from trouble ahead. Stella still judged McLaren as the fourth-fastest team on pure pace.

Oscar Piastri lost ground after first-lap contact damaged his front wing. The team changed the nose and moved him onto hard tyres. He recovered positions but finished outside the points in eleventh.

Those different races produced the same technical message. McLaren executed several decisions well, yet the car lacked consistent speed. The result looked stronger than the underlying competitive order.

Stella said closing that gap remained the team’s highest priority. Engineers returned to the factory with data from every Silverstone session. The Hungary package was already scheduled before that review began.

What McLaren has actually confirmed

McLaren’s Hungary package is built around a redesigned floor and several related aerodynamic parts. Senior racing director Randy Singh said Friday practice would be used to understand their performance. The package follows the larger changes introduced across Miami and Montreal.

Norris reported that recent results exceeded the car’s realistic pace. His fourth place followed careful tyre timing and errors by rivals. That context explains why McLaren wants more repeatable speed from the new parts.

Piastri reported better balance when he ran in clean air at Silverstone. Contact on the opening lap damaged his front wing and forced an early stop. That damage made his race a poor test of the car’s normal pace.

The upgrade arrives for a circuit with many linked corners. Long periods of steering load reward stable balance and predictable grip. Those demands differ sharply from Spa’s long straights and high-speed sections.

Friday running carries extra value

The first practice session will establish whether the new parts behave as expected. Engineers will compare aerodynamic readings with their factory models. Driver comments will then show whether the load is usable through complete corners.

McLaren has been working with an aerodynamic development delay of several months. Stella said the factory now has a clear direction after changing its approach. The redesigned floor is the first major result of that work.

The Hungaroring links many medium-speed corners with only one long straight. McLaren expects that layout to expose the car’s balance over complete sequences. The team will compare aerodynamic measurements with its factory targets.

Norris and Piastri need the same baseline

Norris and Piastri will receive the main upgrade package for the weekend. McLaren has not named one driver as the sole user. Their practice runs will provide two sets of data from the same circuit conditions.

McLaren can compare laps through recorded fuel loads, tyre sets and aerodynamic sensors. Those controlled references separate a real gain from changing track grip. Driver comments add information about braking and corner balance.

No driver has been named as the sole recipient of the package. McLaren presented the changes as a team development for Hungary. Both race cars are therefore expected to support the main comparison.

The team will also trial an experimental upside-down rear wing during first practice. McLaren planned an earlier test in Austria but stopped after a garage problem. The revised wing will be removed after Friday’s opening session.

The floor and experimental wing have separate roles

McLaren does not plan to race the experimental wing in Hungary or at the following Dutch Grand Prix. A successful trial could support later use at Monza or Baku. Those circuits place greater value on lower drag.

Ferrari first tested a similar rear-wing idea during winter running. Red Bull later removed its version after difficult behaviour in Austria and Britain. McLaren returned its own design to the factory before approving the Hungary test.

McLaren enters Hungary after several races behind the leading group. Strong execution has sometimes protected its results. The new package is intended to improve the pace available before strategy becomes important.

The floor package is intended for the full weekend, unlike the experimental wing. Practice will show whether its measured load matches McLaren’s simulations. Qualifying and the race will then provide the first competitive comparison.