Clipped Wings For McLaren Didn’t Happen

F1 Grand Prix Of Spain Practice
BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 30: Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 30, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Zak Mauger/LAT Images)
F1 Grand Prix Of Spain Practice
BARCELONA, SPAIN - MAY 30: Oscar Piastri of Australia driving the (81) McLaren MCL39 Mercedes on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Spain at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on May 30, 2025 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Zak Mauger/LAT Images)

Even without a fully flexible front wing, McLaren remains on top in Formula 1.

When asked about the FIA’s much stricter flexibility checks that have taken effect this weekend, Mercedes’ George Russell quipped sarcastically: “Well, it’s certainly slowed McLaren down a lot.”

It’s a bitter pill for every other team, given the way teams are having to manage limited resources between developing the 2025 cars and focusing on the completely different rules for 2026.

While McLaren still leads the pack, however, championship leader Oscar Piastri is wary. “Our opponents look fast,” said the Australian.

“Max (Verstappen) was with us all day, and Ferrari and Mercedes are also close.”

Piastri revealed that McLaren’s pre-Barcelona confidence that a stiffer wing wouldn’t overly affect performance was because the team had already tested it on track.

“Lando (Norris) has had a wing like this on his car before to get a feel for it,” he said.

According to Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko, the new wings may have squeezed the top teams closer together. “Ferrari and Mercedes have closed the gap,” he said, “and so have we.

“As far as the wings are concerned, I still see a slight advantage for McLaren. But the others are close. Now it’s about fine-tuning.

“But the big jump for the McLaren competition, which some had predicted, didn’t happen.”

From F1 news to tech, history to opinions, F1 Chronicle has a free Substack. To deliver the stories you want straight to your inbox, click here.

New to Formula 1? Check out our Glossary of F1 Terms, and our Beginners Guide to Formula 1 to fast-track your F1 knowledge.

Comments

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

More in News

Formula 1 2024: Austrian Gp

2025 Austrian Grand Prix: Fast Facts

After a brief Canadian interlude, Formula 1 is back in ...
Auto F1 Academy 2025 Montreal

Lewis Hamilton: F1’s Growth Fuels Online Abuse Issues

Lewis Hamilton says rising popularity has made F1 “more intense” ...
2025 Le Mans Fp 0048 57b3f3e9 22b2 4f70 8a19 78eb0bff805b

Robert Kubica ‘Hurt’ By PR Stunt Claims After F1 Return

Kubica opens up after Le Mans win about 2019 Williams ...
F1 Grand Prix Of Canada

Fernando Alonso Thinks He’s Still In F1’s Top Five

Fernando Alonso says he is mentally strong enough to ride ...
Miguel Oliveira

Liberty Media Gets EU Green Light For MotoGP Takeover

Liberty Media to acquire 84% stake in MotoGP rights holder ...

Trending on F1 Chronicle