McLaren reveals 10 key changes behind its extensive Miami F1 upgrade

The Woking-based outfit has spent recent weeks working on addressing weaknesses that it feels its MCL38 car has.

However, despite the raft of changes that it has revealed ahead of first practice in Miami, Lando Norris has explained that the tweaks brought this time out are more aimed at purely lifting performance.

Asked what he expected from the upgrade package, Norris said: “Hopefully a quicker car. I think it’s reasonable.

“It definitely should be obvious for when I’m behind the wheel in terms of finding some good steps forward. But it’s not necessarily directed at helping all of our weaker areas, which is something we’re still aiming for and working very hard to try and improve.

“But anything that’s going to try and make the car go quicker – especially when it’s so tight – is going to help. So, we wouldn’t have pushed so hard to try to bring it here on a sprint race unless we were hoping [it helps].”

In the FIA submission documents where teams have to explain any new parts brought to the cars, McLaren has explained the 10 areas where revisions have been made.

They are:

• Completely new front wing, which works in conjunction with brake ducts and front suspension to increase overall downforce.
• New front suspension geometry to help support airflow off the front wing and better condition it for the rest of the car.
• Revised front brake duct and winglet that helps better manage airflow off the front wing.
• Completely revised floor that works with new sidepod inlets and bodywork to increase downforce.
• Revised sidepod inlet to complement the changes with airflow and, along with new bodywork, help improve the feeding of air to the rear of the car.
• New bodywork and engine cover to improve aerodynamic efficiency in conjunction with the new sidepod inlet.
• An updated range of cooling louvres to suit the change in the flow field in this area of the car.
• Updated rear suspension to capitalise on the new airflow and help improve load generation with new rear brake ducts.
• Revised rear brake ducts and winglets aimed to help add more downforce.
• A new offloaded beam wing design to better trade the load between it and the rear wing, which should be more suitable to the Miami layout.