McLaren brings upgrades to Hungary in bid to boost momentum

McLaren will arrive at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix armed with a raft of upgrades for its MCL40 as the Woking squad looks to inject fresh momentum into a season that has yet to live up to the lofty standards of its title-winning campaign.

Ten races into its championship defence, McLaren finds itself third in the constructors' standings, 163 points adrift of Mercedes.

But with the technical battle intensifying across the grid, the team hopes its latest developments can help narrow the deficit at a circuit where it has celebrated one-two finishes in each of the past two seasons.

New floor headlines Budapest upgrade package

The centerpiece of McLaren's latest development push is a revised floor, accompanied by several aerodynamic updates that will be evaluated throughout Friday and Saturday's practice sessions at the Hungaroring.

The weekend will also see the return of McLaren's experimental rear wing, originally earmarked for its debut in Austria before those plans were shelved.

While the design is back in the team's arsenal, McLaren has confirmed it is not expected to become a full-time race component in either Hungary or next month's Dutch Grand Prix as engineers continue to assess its potential.

McLaren racing director Randy Singh believes Budapest presents a very different technical challenge from Spa, with success likely to hinge on extracting maximum performance from both the car and its latest upgrades.

“Heading to Hungary, we're looking forward to a very different challenge at the Hungaroring and the final race before the summer shutdown,” McLaren senior racing director Randy Singh said.

“It's a circuit that demands a high-downforce package and rewards confidence under braking, strong corner entry and good traction, while the combination of hot temperatures, relentless corners and limited straights makes tyre management a key factor.

“As always this season, we'll also be focused on getting the most from our power unit deployment across the lap and understanding how the revised overtaking characteristics influence strategy.”

Gathering data for the second half of the season

Beyond outright performance, McLaren views the Hungarian weekend as an important opportunity to validate its latest developments before Formula 1 heads into its summer shutdown.

Singh underlined the importance of collecting meaningful data from the new parts in a championship where even incremental gains can make a decisive difference.

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“We have an upgrade package arriving this weekend too, and in such a competitive season every development is important so it will be great to gather further understanding on how those parts perform throughout Free Practice,” he explained.

“Our aim is to maximise everything we have available, carry positive momentum into the shutdown and put ourselves in the strongest possible position for the second half of the championship.”

Friday's opening practice will also provide another opportunity for reigning Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli, who is set for his second FP1 appearance with McLaren this season.

The Italian will take over Oscar Piastri's MCL40 for the opening hour, allowing the team to fulfil one of its rookie driver requirements while gathering additional feedback on its latest upgrades before handing the car back to the Australian for the remainder of the weekend.

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