Tech Talk: A detailed look at McLaren’s wheel rims

McLaren debuted some interesting wheel rims on their MP4-30 in Jerez, with the front set by far the most complex design seen on any car so far this year.

The team has very different front and rear rims due to the different demands placed upon them and the surrounding components.

Whilst the rears (inset) are relatively simple, featuring ten spokes, the fronts feature half the number of spokes and multiple channels near the tyres edge.

These are designed to dissipate heat coming from the front-brakes by channeling hot air away from the braking system, whilst allowing cooler air to enter.

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It’s also vital that the rims themselves remain at a stable temperature as they can cause high tyre wear if they become too hot. To help with this, raised dimples are visible inside the rim to create a larger surface area, helping with the cooling process.

Due to the weight transfer under braking combined with the ERS system which helps slow the rear, the front brakes undergo far more stresses and strains and therefore work much harder, hence why the rear rims don’t need the complex cooling solutions deployed at the front.

The rear rim also features a standard nozzle, whereas the front (see circle) has a flush nozzle. This avoids airflow disruption which is important at the front of the car, but not so important for the air flowing over the rear.

The team is also one of a handful which is experimenting with blown-wheel nuts to best use the airflow coming from the brake ducts, by channeling it through the wheel nut to better direct airflow from the front-wing endplate to the top of the sidepods.