Gary Anderson on the front wing McLaren had to remove

McLaren arrived in Montreal with what looked like the final piece of their Miami upgrade package – a revised front wing. But after Friday practice, the team swapped back to the older version for sprint qualifying, confirming the new design wasn't ready for race conditions.

Why it matters:

Front wing design is the cornerstone of a car's aerodynamic balance. With the 2026 regulations introducing active aero, even well-engineered updates can stumble if the airflow doesn't reattach quickly enough between straight and corner modes. McLaren's issue highlights how teams are still learning to manage a 0.4-second transition window.

The details:

• Flap redesign: The new wing features full-length flaps that run directly into the endplate, eliminating a separate outboard flap section. This increases the inboard cord length and changes the angle of incidence.
• Active aero links relocated: The mechanism now operates rods closer to the nose, altering flap activation timing.
• Endplate tweaks: A reshaped upper profile and a larger leading-edge opening in the footplate tunnel aim to reduce sensitivity to track surface and manage tyre squirt airflow.
• Boomerang added: A small turning vane on top of the halo (surprisingly not used earlier) helps clean up airflow over the driver's helmet and rear wing.
• The problem: Oscar Piastri's lock-up at Turn 14 in practice was traced to incomplete front wing reattachment after the active aero closed. The resulting flat spots forced a switch back to the old wing.

What's next:

Gary Anderson notes that with these complex active aero systems, every team is on a steep learning curve. Consistency and balance often outweigh raw downforce. McLaren will likely refine the update for future races, but this Montreal episode shows the new generation of cars still has plenty of surprises in store.