McLaren's miscalculation that cannot be corrected until 2027

      At McLaren, they acknowledge that they made a miscalculation when choosing the wheelbase length for the 2026 chassis. It turned out to be too short, which brings certain limitations in the potential refinement of the MCL40's aerodynamics. However, for the next season, they plan to create a chassis with a longer base in Woking.

      As explained in an interview with The Race by McLaren Applied Engineering's technical director Neil Holdsworth, the team preferred the shorter base option in an effort to reduce the chassis weight, but consequently, it has a shorter floor, which does not allow for fully utilizing the potential of this crucial aerodynamic component.

      Neil Holdsworth: "Initially, we built a shorter car because it is lighter, as we knew it would be very challenging to stay within the weight limit set by the regulations. So, at first, everything was going well, and we could improve the chassis efficiency through other areas.

      When you try to achieve this and aim to extract the maximum from the car, it often leads to a gradual increase in its weight, but we managed to gradually increase the speed of the MCL40 since we initially saved on its weight. Moreover, during the car's upgrades, we managed to make it a bit lighter.

      I believe that by next year, we will build a longer car because it offers somewhat broader opportunities in terms of working with the floor. This year, during the floor upgrades, we hoped we could handle the emerging challenges, although it initially seemed that with a shorter chassis, the time losses per lap would not be so significant.

      It seems that other teams sometimes achieve more efficient performance from their cars both in cornering and on straights. Therefore, we are looking for ways to make the car more aerodynamically efficient."

      However, it cannot really be said that this led to any noticeable losses, as it was with such a car that Lando Norris won the Hungarian Grand Prix.