McLaren: Addressing F1 low-downforce phenomenon now a priority
The McLaren team has made significant progress this season with its MCL60, becoming one of the consistent challengers to Red Bull. However, their performance at the Las Vegas Grand Prix revealed that their competitors are better prepared in low downforce setups. With more high-speed tracks on the calendar, McLaren cannot afford to overlook this aspect of their development. Team boss Andrea Stella acknowledged that their data showed a greater loss in competitiveness compared to other teams when running at low downforce levels. The emergence of high-speed street circuits like Baku and Vegas means that ignoring low downforce performance is no longer an option. McLaren has added more focus on optimizing their car for these types of circuits, as the aerodynamics become more sensitive and can significantly impact car performance. Despite developing an ultra-low downforce specification for the Las Vegas GP, McLaren opted not to use it due to the low grip track surface. They recognize that such upgrades do not drastically change the car’s behavior and expect challenges in finding the right balance.
