McLaren appears set to trial a modified bargeboard package during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, with a new configuration spotted in the Hungaroring paddock on Thursday.
This features a modification to the boomerang wing area and the structure in the front part of the bargeboard.
The boomerang wing area of the bargeboards works together with the front suspension members to control and realign the wake coming off the trailing edge of the front wing flaps.
They are more important for high-downforce tracks when teams are running maximum front wing. If they work as hoped, that could be very useful for a track like the Hungaroring.
It’s very easy to pile on front wing and at the same time lose more rear downforce than you are gaining front downforce.
Yes, the balance will move forward, so if you have understeer this is no bad thing. But the total downforce will decrease at the same time, so it’s not as productive to lap time as it could be.
With these boomerang wings working correctly, you will get the front downforce gain but lose less rear downforce, so that adds up to more of an increase in the total downforce – which will improve the lap time.
That said, getting it all to work together and correctly is no easy task and that is why McLaren will be monitoring its performance very closely tomorrow.
