McLaren, not just suspensions: many interesting solutions on the MCL40

From the moment of its first outing on the track, the new McLaren caught attention for its very particular front suspension, which is very strong to optimize the management of flows in the direction of the surface. The MCL40, however, is much more than this, with several interesting solutions, starting from the front mobile wing actuator. The bodywork layout, however, is similar to that of the world champion MCL39, awaiting the first package of updates that will arrive between Suzuka and Bahrain. Push rod also at the rear The new photos arriving from Barcelona offer a better view of the front suspension, the main reason of interest in the first analysis of the MCL40. You can clearly appreciate how much the lower rear element (1) extends towards the rear, much more than the 2025 car and Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull, guiding the flows coming from the wing towards the bottom and the radiator outlets. The arm itself is also decoupled from the front one, confirming a multilink scheme which offers more freedom both from an aerodynamic point of view and for controlling the inclination of the wheel. Finally, from recent shots, it would seem that the team has brought the steering (2) back in front of the other elements, outlining a small cascade of aerodynamic profiles together with the front arm. Finally we also have a view of the rear suspension, which also in this case confirms what was seen in the renderings. The layout is push-rod, with the shaft particularly lying both in height and forward, as on the world champion MCL39, not the best from the point of view of force transmission, but advantageous from the aerodynamic point of view. At the bottom, however, you can appreciate the lower element (3), which is also very extended forwards until it reaches the ramp of the bellies. Special solutions for the wings Moving on to the rest of the car, the eye falls on the particularly slender nose, a sign of great work from a structural point of view to narrow the impact section despite the tightening of crash tests this year. Immediately below is the front mobile wing actuator (4), integrated directly into the nose, from which it descends downwards. The control opens two aerodynamic profiles, unlike Mercedes and Aston Martin, which preferred to limit themselves to a single mobile flap. Also of interest are the rear wing supports (5), slightly arched backwards, unlike, for example, the Ferrari, whose pylons remain straight. McLaren has chosen to move the wing attachment points further back, probably to make the main profile work better and/or to reduce aerodynamic drag. The decline of the entire structure will then have to be evaluated, a theme which, despite the efforts of the FIA, returns every year. The bodywork Among the top teams, McLaren is the one that has most remained with the flat-bottomed approach of the previous generation of cars, channeling the flows from the upper part of the bodywork directly into the area surrounding the gearbox. In the upper part, the bonnet has a long slide that reaches the tail from the cockpit (6), surmounted by a stabilizing fin with a serrated edge (7), like the Ferrari. The objective is to generate vortices to energize the air directed to the rear wing, the performance of which becomes even more important this year, having to compensate for the load lost without ground effect. Finally moving on to the appendages in the advanced part of the bottom, McLaren denotes a different approach from its direct rivals. Where their opponents installed a cascade of horizontal profiles, the world champions instead preferred a large vertical bulkhead (8), evidently considered more effective for shielding the car from wheel turbulence. Everything is anchored to the frame by means of a horizontal support (9), currently very small and not very elaborate. Overall, the MCL40 presents several interesting solutions, but the important thing will be to preserve the organic nature that characterized the previous project, which earned both world titles.