For the first time since Honda returned to Formula 1, McLaren brought the low downforce rear wing to Belgium, but it did not help them significantly reduce the huge power deficit from Honda power unit.
Teams bring some of the most extreme rear wings of the season to Spa, along with Canada, Baku and Monza, which definitely has the lowest downforce requirements, and aerodynamic settings for Spa are always a compromise between the tricky second sector and the fast first and third sectors.
This year McLaren decided to bring a very low rear wing with a short upper element (flap), and there is a possibility that similar wings will also be used in Monza, if they don’t bring even more extreme wing in Italy.
The new rear wing has a curved leading edge (yellow), but the main element does not have a large angle of attack to reduce downforce and drag.
The upper element has much shorter chord, although it has a fairly large attack angle (which can be adjusted), and the leading edge (red) is almost completely straight. The upper part of the upper element (purple) has a V-slit in the middle, often seen at the rear wings of other teams, which helps to reduce the turbulence and thus the air resistance.
As the whole wing is shallower, McLaren has reduced the number of horizontal slots on the side panels (white) to three, but unlike some other teams, McLaren does not use the open leading vertical edge of the side plates as they use the classic, full edge.
The aerodynamic configuration has been completed with a 20 cm wide double wing behind the exhaust pipes (orange), the first time used in Hungary, which sits on an extremely long horizontal support pillar that contributes to a better interaction between the wings and the exhaust gases.
To increase downforce and quality of airflow to the rear wing, McLaren also used the 750 mm wide T-wing, but not in the latest configuration of the six elements used in Hungary, but in a somewhat simpler version that produces less air resistance and downforce.
