McLaren already planning upgrade package for Bahrain GP

McLaren says it is already preparing an upgrade package for Formula 1’s season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix.

Formula 1 cars for 2022 have been designed to a new set of technical regulations tasked at creating closer and more exciting racing.

The new cars will also be the first fully designed and developed under the budget cap, which was introduced into Formula 1 in 2021.

McLaren says the cost cap, in conjunction with the new regulations, means its approach to the MCL36 will be different to its predecessor.   

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“We’re manufacturing fewer [spare] parts,” said Operations Director Piers Thynne, in an interview released by McLaren.

“That is a cultural shift, but it will allow greater flexibility to consider upgrades. It’s a difficult trade to make but we will have smaller quantities of parts available for the ’36 than we had for the ’35M, to have room in the budget to deliver more performance.

“We’re not going to ever have too few parts to run the cars, we’ll always protect that, but where in the past we would have made five or six parts, we’re dropping to five; where it was four or five, we’re dropping to four.

“Where there are multiple set-up options of a part to fit, we’re considering rationing how those choices are made.

“[We will be] collaborating with the race engineers to make sure we’re providing the choices they will want to use, rather than the choices they might want to use – because every pound counts and we’ve got to make sure we’re spending wisely.”

McLaren’s MCL36 will be unveiled next Friday (February 11), ahead of the opening test on February 23, but the team is already working on fresh components for the opening round on March 18-20.

“We know performance at race one is critical, and we’ll be delivering an upgrade package to that event – but we expect much more to follow,” said Thynne.

“One of the reasons we’re being lean on stock is that we know we want to evolve the car. There are no prizes for having six floors and six front wings at the first race.

“We’ll be taking some subtly different approaches this year to make sure production capacity is available and can respond to aerodynamic evolution. That will be key to success this year.”