McLaren to bring ‘experimental rear wing’ to Austrian Grand Prix
25th June 2026McLaren has confirmed it is set to bring its own ‘experimental’ rear wing to the upcoming Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, with reports suggesting an ‘upside down’ configuration.
Feature image credit: Pirelli
Ahead of the Austrian Grand prix, McLaren has confirmed it will bring some upgrades to their car following the challenges they face in Monaco and Canada this season. In addition, it is expected that the team are going to run an ‘experimental rear wing’ in free practice.
According to reports, like The Race, this ‘experimental’ rear wing is expected to be McLaren’s own variant of the upside-down wing that Ferrari first debuted in Bahrain pre-season testing, before Red Bull brought their own later in the season. The only two teams to bring such a device so far.
However, the new rear wing has only been reported to be used in practice sessions, where teams are not locked into Parc Ferme. It is said that the new wing remains in its experimental phase, and the team will likely run both their traditional and experimental wings as a comparison.
“Austria has historically been a strong track for us, and while we take nothing for granted in such a tight field, we are optimistic that the car and driver characteristics will again suit the circuit, putting us in the fight at the front,” said McLaren’s Technical Director, Neil Houldey.
“We’re always looking to make refinements that add performance and lap time to the car. For this event, we’ve focused on minor detail updates around the car’s rear corners, as well as an experimental rear wing that will run throughout Friday’s sessions.”
The team arrives in Austria bouncing back following their recent events, scoring a double points finish in Barcelona after their defending world champion, Lando Norris, suffered reliability problems in Canada and Monaco.
As such, the team have said they’ve marked ‘a positive step’ and looks to maintain its momentum heading into a venue where the team has enjoyed success in the past, including Norris’ first podium finish in 2020 and a win on his way to the 2025 drivers’ championship.
Houldey has confirmed that the overall package of their 2026 contender is lighter than some of their recent updates, but confirms are part of their season-long development pathway. The team has confirmed that, alongside the experimental rear wing, it will provide minor detail refinements on the MCL40’s rear corners.
The Austrian Grand Prix will get underway on June 26 with the first practice session kicking off the action, with the grand prix getting underway on June 28.
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
