McLaren has announced a comprehensive development package for the Canadian Grand Prix, introducing new components across seven key areas of the MCL40 as the team continues its aggressive upgrade campaign that began at the Miami Grand Prix. The Woking-based squad will debut updates to the floor, chassis, front and rear wings, bodywork, halo and roll hoop when Formula 1 arrives at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve this weekend.
The most significant addition appears to be McLaren’s new rear wing, reportedly their interpretation of the innovative “Macarena” wing concept that has captured attention throughout the paddock. This marks the second major upgrade push from McLaren following their seven-component package introduced in Florida, where the team achieved remarkable success with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri securing a sprint race one-two finish and both drivers reaching the podium in the main event.
The timing of McLaren’s latest upgrades sets up a fascinating technical battle with Mercedes, who deliberately postponed their first major development package of the 2024 season from Miami to debut it specifically at the Canadian Grand Prix. While McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull all brought significant updates to Florida, Mercedes held back their improvements in a strategic decision that could prove crucial to the championship fight.
Currently sitting third in the constructors’ championship with 94 points, McLaren trails second-place Ferrari by 16 points and championship leaders Mercedes by 86 points. Team principal Andrea Stella acknowledged after Miami that Mercedes maintained approximately a two-tenths-per-lap advantage, making these upgrades critical for McLaren’s hopes of closing the performance gap or at least neutralizing the Silver Arrows’ own developments when both packages hit the track simultaneously in Montreal.