McLaren: Staged B-spec rollout ‘not strategic’

The staged rollout of the upgrades which effectively equates to a B-spec McLaren is not due to a strategic play but a practical limitation.

Team boss Andrea Stella has previously confirmed that upgrades would appear on the MCL60 between the Austrian and British Grands Prix.

That has now been refined, with Stella stating over the Canadian Grand Prix weekend that “there will be a major overhaul of the of the car that will be delivered across Austria, UK and Hungary.”

A sweeping set of upgrades are expected following an ‘aggressive’ development programme after the car missed its targets during the design phase.

That has involved not just revised bodywork but the redesign of internal components.

With such a significant package, there is a degree of logic in staggering its deployment as it affords the team an opportunity to evaluate aspects of it in comparative isolation.

However, Stella has confirmed that is not the case at McLaren.

“Not strategic it’s just as early as we could, first of all, design them and then produce them,” the McLaren boss admitted.

“Some parts require just a bit more time to be redesigned, or evolved, and some parts that were a little quicker.

“So not strategic, just as early as possible.”

McLaren is keeping the specifics of the upgrade under wraps, though has stated that the car will be “noticeably different”.

More than that, Stella wouldn’t be drawn, stating: “I’d rather leave a surprise, but it will be noticeable.”

In its current stage, the MCL60 has shown itself to have strong tyre warm-up, which can be a help or a hindrance depending on the event and, more specifically, the conditions.

It has also shown itself to work well at high-speed.

Where it falls back is around medium-speed corners, as the downforce bleeds off and the ride height changes, introducing yaw and pitch which upsets the aerodynamic platform.

To move forward, addressing that issue will be important, as is increasing the operating window for the car – especially when it comes to tyre degradation in warmer conditions.