Piastri: Our competitors seem quick.

      McLaren's 'clipped wings' theory ‘didn’t materialize’

      Even without a fully-flexible front wing, McLaren continues to lead in Formula 1. When asked about the stringent flexibility checks implemented by the FIA this weekend, Mercedes’ George Russell sarcastically remarked, "Well, it’s certainly slowed McLaren down a lot." This situation is difficult for other teams, especially as they juggle limited resources between developing the cars for 2025 and adapting to the entirely different regulations for 2026.

      "These will be the last significant changes this season," former Alpha Tauri boss Franz Tost stated to Auto Bild. "After Barcelona, everyone will concentrate on building a car for 2026. The performance level we saw in Barcelona will likely remain consistent for the remainder of the season."

      Despite McLaren's current leading position, championship leader Oscar Piastri remains cautious. "Our competitors appear quick," the Australian said. "Max (Verstappen) was with us throughout the day, and Ferrari and Mercedes are also quite close."

      Piastri explained that McLaren’s prior confidence before Barcelona in the idea that a stiffer wing wouldn’t greatly impact performance stemmed from the team's previous testing. "Lando (Norris) has used a wing like this on his car before to familiarize himself with it," he noted.

      According to Red Bull advisor Dr. Helmut Marko, the new wings may have brought the leading teams closer together. "Ferrari and Mercedes have narrowed the gap," he commented, "and we have as well. Regarding the wings, I still see a slight edge for McLaren. However, the others are near. Now, it’s about fine-tuning. But the significant improvement for the McLaren competition that some expected didn’t occur."