McLaren will ultimately deploy its pivoting rear wing, but the team has postponed it to a future race after an extensive on‑track evaluation.
Development and Testing
Andrea Stella explained that the decision not to race the concept immediately stems from its mechanical complexity and the challenges of managing car behaviour as it switches between Straight Line Mode (SLM) and cornering. McLaren originally planned to perform the trials in Austria, but after a last‑minute cancellation the first on‑track assessment occurred during FP1 in Hungary, where Lando Norris ran the new wing.
Stella highlighted the workshop’s success: “The project looked well‑behaved from a mechanical standpoint, with actuation timing that respects the 0.4‑second regulation limit.” He added that aerodynamic reattachment—the time required for airflow to re‑attach to the wing after it closes—was consistently within expectations, encouraging further development.
Regulation Impact and Aerodynamics
The 2024 ruleset lifts the 2011 DRS restriction by allowing front and rear wing flaps to open in defined straight‑line zones, but it leaves the actuation method open. McLaren’s approach mirrors Red Bull’s in using a central actuator to rotate the upper wing plane forwards, instead of integrating the mechanism into the endplates as Ferrari does.
Illustrations in the season’s literature indicate that the actuator and its shroud create an air‑braking effect when the wing closes, a trade‑off accepted by both teams in exchange for a larger gap between the upper and lower planes during SLM. The design also affects tyre loading, as airflow does not re‑attach instantaneously – a factor that teams could only gauge accurately in real‑world conditions.
Track Validation and Future Plans
Stella noted that the wind tunnel has limited predictive power for yawed and counter‑flow situations, making on‑track data the definitive measure of aerodynamic gains. This sentiment was echoed during the first FP1 run, where McLaren fitted large aero rakes behind the rear wheels to confirm performance alongside the rotating wing.
After initial concerns raised by Verstappen’s crashes at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone—charged to delayed airflow reattachment—McLaren felt confident that its pivoting wing can be introduced safely. “We are looking forward to bringing this concept to future events,” Stella said. The team plans to continue testing until performance, reliability, and regulatory compliance coalesce, after which the basic pivot will be integrated into the race‑day kit for upcoming Grands Prix.
"