McLaren has acknowledged that the development of the MCL40 will still require patience, and that significant updates are not expected to arrive in the short term. The Woking team began the new era of Formula 1 fighting for the position of third force, behind Mercedes and Ferrari, and still faces a considerable performance deficit.
Read more F1: Cadillac faces its first Sprint format weekend
“The weekend in Australia was a valuable opportunity to analyze the car under real racing conditions and learn more about its performance,” commented Neil Houldley, technical director of applied technology at McLaren. “There is still a lot of work to do to fully exploit the engine’s potential and improve cornering grip,” he stated.
Despite the challenges, McLaren remains focused on extracting the maximum from the current configuration, preparing for the Chinese GP, which will feature the first Sprint race of the season: “In the next GPs, we will continue to focus on maximizing the performance of the current car. There is a lot of effort from the team, both on track and in Woking, and we are aware that it will take a few races before we can bring significant updates to the car,” Houldley concluded.
Read more F1: FIA and teams debate engine changes after China
The joint work with Mercedes High Performance Powertrains (HPP) will be of extreme importance for the team to deliver the best possible performance in China, both in Saturday’s Sprint race and Sunday’s GP, while preparations for future updates remain underway.
Read more F1: Pirelli warns of tire wear with Sprint format in China
