McLaren has confirmed the F1 team will be running with another major upgrade package at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
The reigning world champions proved the team has the speed to challenge Mercedes for this year’s championship when it introduced an extensive upgrade to its MCL40 ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
Reigning champ Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both finished on the podium in Florida, but championship leader Kimi Antonelli won the race with a three second advantage.
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the team always planned to roll out its upgrades across Miami and Montreal, but the scope of the team’s second package has caught some by surprise.
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It comes after Mercedes supremo Toto Wolff on Wednesday confirmed the championship leaders will be introducing its first package upgrade at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
It has set the scene for a juicy weekend in Montreal with the F1 world intrigued by the fluctuating power balance.
“As established at the beginning of the season, Miami served as the first big step in our plan to add performance to the MCL40,” the team said in a statement.
“This continues this weekend in Montreal, with a number of new components across the floor, chassis, front and rear wings, bodywork, halo and roll hoop.
“The competition in Miami was close, but the team secured a sprint 1-2 and a double podium.
“The team is recharged after the two-weekend break from racing and is prepared to carry this momentum into the next North American round at a track favoured by many drivers.”
According to reports, McLaren’s second upgrade will be more significant than the changes made ahead of the Florida race weekend.
According to Racingnews365, rumours have been spreading McLaren’s aerodynamic package will result in a significant performance upgrade as the team wrestles with the challenge of following Ferrari’s rear wing adjustable flap concept.
Rival teams have been in a rush to follow Ferrari’s radical feature, known as the “Macarena wing”.
McLaren will desperately hope its upgrade will be superior to the new-look Mercedes.
The Silver Arrows have already opened up a 70-point gap to Ferrari and 86 to McLaren with a dominant start to the year.
Speaking about the team’s first upgrade of the season, Wolff said this week: “Our competitors took a step forward in Miami and we need to respond; seven Grands Prix in 10 weekends before shutdown is an opportunity to do that and build momentum.
“We bring our first update package of the year to Montreal, but we know that performance is only performance once it is delivered on track.
“Despite being in the middle of May, we are just four races into the season.
“There is a long year ahead and, while this is an important weekend, it will not decide any outcomes. We will stay balanced, keep learning, and execute each weekend as well as we can.”
The upgrade arms race between Mercedes and McLaren is made all the more complex by the team’s power unit supply relationship.
Mercedes has only confirmed it will supply McLaren’s engine through to the end of 2030 while McLaren team principal Andrea Stella in March vented frustrations that Mercedes may have been hiding data from its customers.
Meanwhile, in the Drivers’ Championship, Antonelli leads Russell by 20 points, with Charles Leclerc the closest to the two Mercedes a further 21 adrift.
Aussie Piastri is 57 points behind.
