McLaren is poised for a performance boost at the Belgian Grand Prix, as the team will debut a new Mercedes power unit and test its innovative “Macarena” rear wing at Spa-Francorchamps.
After engine component failures earlier this season, McLaren delayed introducing the latest Mercedes power unit, maximizing its current parts through the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone. The team now joins Williams and Alpine in running Mercedes’ freshest power offering, which is expected to deliver a straight-line speed advantage on Spa’s demanding layout—particularly through sectors one and three.
This marks McLaren’s third power unit of the season, following the lead of other Mercedes-powered teams. Previous years have shown the benefits of a fresh engine at Spa, with even penalized drivers like Max Verstappen able to fight for victory.
In addition, McLaren will test and evaluate a new rear wing assembly—the “Macarena” wing—during Friday practice. The team had previously brought the wing to the Red Bull Ring but opted not to run it in a session.
“Our preparation has been thorough, using extensive simulation work to get ahead of what we know will be a very demanding weekend for energy management,” said McLaren technical director Neil Houldey. He noted that while the upgrades should add performance, Spa’s challenging, energy-starved circuit and unpredictable weather—possibly including wet running—will provide a stern test for both car and drivers.
With these updates, McLaren aims to rebound from a tough British Grand Prix and gather valuable data for the rest of the F1 season.
