McLaren handed Lando Norris unique update to ‘extreme’ F1 car part to close the gap to Oscar Piastri at the Canadian GP

McLaren were not the quickest team during the Canadian Grand Prix having struggled to match the performance of the Mercedes and Red Bull.

It is to be expected that the team was going to run into some outlier tracks this year, particularly as more of their rival teams catch up with their developments.

Rival teams have attempted to cull McLaren’s advantage, notably Red Bull, who pushed the FIA to introduce new front wing tests this year to prevent excessive flexing.

McLaren were unaffected by the increased static load tests, largely because they have perfected a way to reduce low-speed understeer by using the aero elasticity of the front wing flaps, according to one ex-F1 aero expert.

An inspection of their brake ducts after the Miami Grand Prix also debunked any suspicions Red Bull had over their cooling design. Now it appears they have brought an upgrade to their car, which should enable Lando Norris to close the gap to Oscar Piastri, according to journalist Mark Hughes on F1.com.

McLaren introduce front suspension upgrade to help Lando Norris

McLaren had submitted two updates to their car presentation sheet on Friday, one of which was to the front suspension of their MCL39.

Their car has one of the most extreme anti-dive front suspension geometries on the grid, according to Hughes, allowing for their incredibly flat aero platform. With less dive from the car under braking, the front ride height can be lower – a key aspect to these ground effect cars.

There is also more forward-biased plank wear on the MCL39 compared to other teams, which is a result of this setup. But a downside for the drivers is that it reduces feedback through the steering and brakes.

This has been noted on several occasions by Norris, who said that he does not have the same level of confidence in this car compared to last year’s.

To help combat the problem, McLaren has developed an alternative geometry for Norris, which made its first appearance at Montreal. It’s largely indistinguishable from the usual suspension, with the upper rear wishbone’s mounting point to the wheel hub now re-angled.

It would explain why only Norris was running the upgrade rather than Piastri, as the usual convention is for the championship leader to receive new parts first if there is a shortage.

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Lando Norris needs to build back confidence to beat Oscar Piastri

With the upgraded car, Norris looked seemingly faster than Piastri where it mattered in the practice sessions, but when it mattered in qualifying and the race he struggled.

The mistakes could be down to still learning and adjusting to the new setup, plus Canada is such a tyre-sensitive circuit that drivers need to ensure they are in the right operating window to extract the most lap time.

The collision between Norris and Piastri in the Grand Prix will have done the Briton no favours, but admitting to being wholly at fault should enable him to move on.

Jenson Button thinks Norris is in a good headspace to deal with the crash, after now going over 20 points behind Piastri in the championship standings.