The development cycle for the current generation of Formula 1 cars is about to come to an end.
Formula 1 is introducing new regulations in 2026 that will see the cars look very different and be powered by completely new power units.
However, that hasn’t stopped each team in the paddock bringing cars that to varying degrees look different to last season’s machines.
McLaren have made some bold design choices and immediately they appear to have paid off.
Everybody in the paddock believes McLaren have an advantage going into the Australian Grand Prix next Sunday.
However, few teams ever show their full potential during testing, highlighted by new Williams driver Carlos Sainz setting the fastest time of the event.
Although some teams will already be concentrating on 2026, a few technical tweaks were introduced by the FIA over the winter.
New rules on the flexibility of rear wings will take effect in Australia, while a change to how front wings can flex will be implemented from the Spanish Grand Prix.
Journalist Ben Anderson was speaking on The Race F1 Podcast and explained what he had heard about McLaren’s work towards adapting to these new rules.
‘Whispers’ that McLaren were making ‘clever’ changes to aerodynamic surfaces in testing
Asked about how McLaren performed in Bahrain, Anderson said: “From afar, it looked like they had a great test, even though they made a lot of changes to the car, could easily have tripped themselves up.
“But I think it will be the same contenders. As messy as the last day looked for Red Bull, the fact that Max was able to get a lap time out of that car, I feel like that’s going to come together. You can’t underestimate them.
“And even Max for stepping in a slightly recalcitrant Red Bull is going to be a contender.
READ MORE: All you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine
“So if he can just be in the mix through the early races, and then they develop their way out of whatever trouble they’ve developed their way into, the whole flexi-wing thing, turning on its head from race nine that happens. So after race eight, so Barcelona’s race nine.
“That has the power to transform everything, especially with McLaren being so far down that road already, and already whispers that they’re doing more clever things with flexing of aerodynamic surfaces, even during testing.
“I think that’s too unpredictable. I feel like McLaren were probably showing us a little bit more of their full potential of those three teams.
“And Mercedes, I think, probably had the test that flatters them more than the other top four teams.”
McLaren at the centre of wing controversy during the 2024 F1 season
McLaren made incredible strides forward last season and every update they added to the car added another level of performance.
However, when Oscar Piastri won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, fans started to notice that the DRS flap in his rear wing began to slightly open.
The FIA didn’t disqualify McLaren in Baku but did put extra checks in place in races going forward to monitor the issue.
READ MORE: FIA staff heading to Ferrari factory to investigate Lewis Hamilton’s 2025 car after Red Bull complaint
Red Bull complained about McLaren’s rear wing and the flexibility of both of their wings was also contested, however, a decision to change the regulations going into this season was only made after every team had already started development on their 2025 cars.
It means that every team is having to invest more time and resources into their car just months ahead of the work they’re doing becoming redundant.
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