McLaren’s clever engineering has other Formula 1 teams crying foul after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but the British racing team isn’t backing down – they’re actually proud of the controversy.
The drama centers around McLaren’s innovative rear wing design that gives them extra speed on Baku’s long straights. It’s basically a sneaky version of DRS, the system that lets F1 cars reduce drag to go faster.
Other teams weren’t happy. They complained to F1’s governing body, the FIA, claiming McLaren was bending the rules.
But here’s the thing – the FIA checked it out and said McLaren’s wing was perfectly legal. They did update the rules going forward, though.
“There’s a sense of pride there,” says Neil Houldey, McLaren’s engineering boss. “A year ago, nobody was worried about what we were doing. Now other teams are concerned about their position in the championship.”
It’s quite a turnaround for McLaren. Last year, Red Bull was the team everyone watched when it came to straight-line speed. Now McLaren’s giving them a run for their money.
“We’re now very, very close to matching Red Bull’s DRS effect,” Houldey told Motorsport.com.
The whole situation shows just how far McLaren has come. They’ve gone from being an afterthought in 2023 to having teams scrutinize their every move in 2024.
And isn’t that what F1’s technical battles are all about? Finding clever ways to go faster while staying within the rules – even if it makes your competitors nervous.
