Anderson sees McLaren's new front wing as a 2026 upgrade

McLaren has described its new front wing as effectively a 2027 concept, but former engineer Gary Anderson argues it should be used on the current car. With perhaps four races left and around five months before next season, he believes the team should learn as much as possible from it now.

Anderson points to changes at the junction of the mainplane and the lower endplate footplate, a layout Red Bull introduced at the start of the season and which Mercedes and others have since followed. He says a more single lower surface should reduce the sensitivity of the endplate to the track, giving more consistent downforce in high-speed corners and a more stable rear. He also notes altered slot gap profiles and a change to how the wing reduces its angle in straight mode.