McLaren have parked their low-drag rotating rear wing concept ahead of the inaugural Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid.
The Woking team will revert to the high-downforce specification previously used at Zandvoort for the tight Madring street circuit layout. The mechanism, internally dubbed the H-wing, successfully reduced drag during last weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.
However, production constraints forced engineers to delay integrating the 180-degree rotating actuator into their heavier downforce packages. Rather than retroactively adapting the Zandvoort wing, resources were focused on fast-tracking the low-drag iteration for Monza.
While rival squads manage sweeping redesigns, such as the high-risk B-spec rollout at Aston Martin, McLaren took a measured approach. The team will wait until later in the campaign to produce a high-downforce wing built around the new actuator.
The H-wing is scheduled to return at the high-speed Baku street circuit in late September.
Tyre Behaviour Dictates Practice Priorities
With no previous race data available for the 5.4km layout, initial running will prove critical.
“Heading into a completely new circuit in Madrid brings both immense opportunity and risk,” McLaren performance technical director Mark Temple told Pitpass.
“We have solid simulation data regarding the track layout, energy deployment, and aerodynamic demands, but the biggest variable remains tyre behaviour on this new asphalt. Understanding track grip and surface conditions during Friday practice will be vital for shaping the rest of our weekend.”
As motorsport governing bodies grapple with reactive tyre allocation changes on abrasive surfaces elsewhere, finding mechanical grip on Madrid’s unproven asphalt is paramount.
Lando Norris will evaluate Zandvoort-specification endplates for McLaren during Friday practice in Madrid as the team attempt to chase down constructors’ leaders Mercedes.
