New wings and floor updates are heading to Interlagos. With Red Bull now 17 points clear, McLaren needs those changes to deliver more than a promising practice session.
McLaren is bringing new parts to Brazil with ground to recover. The team has confirmed front and rear wing upgrades, alongside smaller floor changes, as it tries to close the gap to Red Bull in the constructors’ championship.
The aim is to improve aerodynamic performance and refine the MCL40’s balance. Interlagos will provide the first opportunity to see how effectively those changes work together.
For Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the package arrives after a Mexico weekend that produced just one points finish.
Mexico widened the gap
Norris finished fifth, while a 10-second penalty dropped Piastri from seventh to 13th. McLaren’s assessment was that the car had shown encouraging pace, but the final return fell short.
The standings make the consequence clear. Red Bull heads to São Paulo with 382 points to McLaren’s 365, leaving a 17-point gap in the fight for third. Ferrari remains ahead of both on 504.
That gives the Brazil updates an immediate purpose. McLaren has a position to regain, and recovering it requires results from both cars.
New parts, a full practice program
The team’s announcement identifies changes across the front wing, rear wing and floor, rather than a single component. It has not published a predicted lap-time gain.
Practice will establish whether the package delivers the improvement McLaren is seeking. That includes how the car responds through corners and whether the drivers can use its performance consistently.
Brazil’s conventional weekend gives the team three sessions before qualifying. With no Sprint on the schedule, Friday provides two hours of running, followed by another hour on Saturday.
Reserve driver Leonardo Fornaroli will contribute to that work in FP1, taking Piastri’s seat for McLaren’s final mandatory rookie outing of the season. Piastri will return for the second session.
Norris returns to a winning circuit
Interlagos holds recent evidence of what Norris and McLaren can achieve together. Last year, he won the Sprint and Grand Prix, taking the top qualifying position for both.
The circumstances are different this time. McLaren arrives fourth in the standings, introducing changes it hopes will help bring the car closer to the front.
The first assessment comes in practice. The more consequential one comes on Sunday: whether Norris and Piastri can turn the updated package into a points haul that begins closing the gap to Red Bull.
