Oscar Piastri has confirmed McLaren will not race its experimental rear wing at the Austrian Grand Prix, with the device set for a Friday-only evaluation on Lando Norris’s car.
The Woking team arrives at the Red Bull Ring with a lighter update package than some of its recent development pushes, but the rear-wing trial gives Friday practice a clear technical edge. McLaren technical director Neil Houldey said the team has targeted minor detail updates around the MCL40’s rear corners, with the wing due to run through Friday’s sessions.
Piastri says McLaren wing is a test item
Piastri was blunt when asked whether the part could be used competitively this weekend. No, McLaren will not race it, he said, adding that the wing is not ready to race at the moment and will be used to gather information.
The context is important. Ferrari and Red Bull have already drawn attention with rotating rear-wing solutions under the 2026 active-aero regulations, and McLaren is now probing the same performance territory without committing the concept to qualifying or race trim.
That caution also reflects McLaren’s wider competitive position. Piastri admitted Mercedes remain the benchmark, Ferrari improved in Barcelona, and Red Bull are expected to bring big things in Austria. After finishing fifth in Spain, the Australian said McLaren have done a lot of homework on his race struggles and want a cleaner weekend.
For McLaren, Friday is less about headline lap time and more about whether a bold rear-wing route is worth developing into a later-season weapon.
Sources: Formula1.com, McLaren Racing.
