McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has confirmed that the team will need to make adjustments to their MCL39 car. McLaren’s flexi-wing was a major talking point for 2025. In turn, the FIA have introduced new load tests for front and rear wings. Ultimately limiting the flexibility of Formula 1 cars.
However, these new regulations do not come into effect until mid season, at the Spanish Grand Prix, giving McLaren and other teams time to update their wings. Stella remains unfazed on this issue. Emphasising that the changes are minor and will not disrupt McLaren’s championship defence.
FIA’s Crackdown explained
In January, the FIA announced that they would implement stricter test loads for both front and rear wings. Rear-wing monitoring will be intense from the season opener in Australia, whereas, front-wing tests will be enforced from the Spanish Grand Prix. These changes were introduced to eliminate excessive wing flexing, ultimately giving teams a tactically advantage to achieve aerodynamic efficiency.
The FIA’s delayed enforcement of front-wing restrictions allows teams time to integrate the necessary modifications to their cars. Importantly, without disrupting early performance from many teams.
Stella believes McLaren will have no major disruptions
McLaren who clinched their first constructors championship since 1998, were rumoured to have greatly benefitted from old regulations. Particularly their ‘flexi-wing’ of 2024, being a major point of contention at the back end of last season. Thus, this regulation change stirred rumours of negatively impacting the McLaren team.
Speaking at the MCL39 launch at Silverstone, Stella dismissed concerns over the regulatory update, stating:
“No headache at all. We don’t have to make many adjustments at all for the start of the season. There will be a small adjustment required from race nine.”
Despite much speculation, Stella remained assertive that McLaren’s full focus remains on maximising the potential of the MCL39. The team are remaining adamant on sustaining their championship dominance, hoping to extend it into the future.
How the MCL39 design is different than previous cars
On the 13th of February, McLaren launched their ambitious 2025 challenger, the MCL39. This design features a revised layout of the car, aiming for greater aerodynamic efficiency. Andrea Stella explained that the Woking based team found a balance between innovation, whilst retaining the string foundations of the MCL38. Their championship winning car.
“In addition to downforce and aerodynamic efficiency, we have focused on improving long-run performance and suspension tuning,” Stella revealed. “We needed to be conscious of how much we wanted to innovate, but ultimately, we opted for a challenging approach.”
McLaren are looking ahead
The Formula 1 season is around the corner. Testing will begin in Bahrain on the February 26, McLaren remain optimistic on defending their title. The team are aiming to start where they left off in 2024, and continue on an upward trajectory throughout 2025.
Stella remains confident in McLaren’s progress, stating, “The 2025 car, on paper, should be a decent step forward. If our numbers are correct, we have not run out of steam.”
Feature Image Credit: McLaren Media Centre
