McLaren’s Zandvoort upgrades delivered more than a performance boost

McLaren’s victory at Zandvoort, its second consecutive win after Budapest, highlighted the impact of the team’s upgrades introduced before and after Formula 1’s summer break. The developments did more than restore the aerodynamic load the car had been lacking: they also helped McLaren take a decisive step forward.

High-speed corners reveal McLaren’s progress

McLaren’s strengths were already becoming apparent at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, while the car looked even more convincing at Spa. The faster and longer the corner, where absolute speed is not the only consideration, the more competitive McLaren became. Its latest upgrades supplied the additional downforce needed to make the car a benchmark through those sections.

The effectiveness of the developments even surprised McLaren, with the car’s performance in high-speed corners exceeding the team’s internal expectations.

Another factor in the Zandvoort victory received less attention: the introduction of new front wheel rims, a development McLaren technical director of engineering Neil Houldey had previewed before the weekend.

Photo by: Clive Mason / Getty Images

“We introduced a small change to the rear section of the floor to generate a bit of extra load, along with some minor tweaks to the rear brake ducts. We also have new front wheel rims, which will help us build more temperature in the tyres. These updates are not significant in terms of lap time, but they do make us slightly more competitive”, Houldey said.

Why tyre temperature mattered at Zandvoort

The significance of the wheel-rim change became clearer after the race. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella noted that Budapest and Zandvoort were both high-downforce circuits that naturally suited the car’s characteristics better than other tracks.

McLaren’s difficulties at Monaco, however, showed that the problem was not limited to cornering speeds or circuit layout. The team had hoped to challenge at the front in Monte Carlo and repeat its successes from the previous year, but it finished outside the podium positions.

Although Monaco offers teams greater freedom to set up the car because it involves fewer compromises, McLaren was hurt by a lack of downforce and difficulty generating heat in the front tyres. That reduced overall grip.

The limitation had already appeared earlier in the season, most notably in Australia and China, where the car suffered significant graining. In Japan, however, graining was not a problem and a new track surface improved grip, allowing the MCL40 to score its first podium of the season.

Front-axle graining was one of the concerns heading into the Zandvoort weekend, but it ultimately proved minimal across the field. The bigger challenge was getting the tyres into their optimal temperature window, even over a single lap.

That was evident during the final Q3 runs on Saturday. Lando Norris secured pole position, while rival teams struggled to bring their tyres up to temperature and required an additional lap.

Photo by: Gianluca D’Alessandro

How McLaren’s new front rims managed tyre temperatures

The issue was directly connected to McLaren’s upgrades in the Netherlands. Rule changes reopened wheel-rim development this season, giving teams an important tool for managing tyre temperatures and operating pressures.

The internal cavities of a custom rim design, which some teams call “pockets”, allow engineers to passively control air exchange and thermal transfer to the tyre.

At Zandvoort, McLaren focused on retaining more heat within the rim structure and transferring it more effectively to the tyre. As a result, only the front rim, produced by the team’s long-standing partner Enkei, was updated.

The change was paired with a more enclosed wheel cover. Its purpose was to limit the cooling effect of ambient airflow hitting the assembly while also reducing drag.

The rear rim remained unchanged because rear-tyre degradation was already a major factor throughout the weekend, including during the sprint and the race. At the rear of the car, McLaren’s priority was to keep temperatures under control during traction phases and through high-speed sections rather than generate additional heat.

Strong gusts caused the cars to slide through high-speed corners, where extra downforce was crucial, as well as through key traction zones on the exits of slower corners. McLaren’s combination of aerodynamic improvements and front-rim development helped the team manage those challenges and convert its recent progress into another victory.

Source: www.motorsport.com