As Formula 1 teams launch their 2020 cars, Mark Hughes has been summarising where each one needs to involve on their 2019 designs. Next up: McLaren
Last year’s MCL34 began as a relatively low-drag/low-downforce car. The fundamental aerodynamic errors of 2018 had been understood and corrected, allowing it to run towards the head of the midfield rather than at the back of it, but it was initially a little light on front downforce into slow and medium corners.
It was a benign drive, allowing Carlos Sainz Jr and Lando Norris to get the best from it, but ultimately was over one second off the top team pace.
The MCL35 will be the first McLaren overseen by technical director James Key and already team principal Andreas Seidl has suggested that it will have a more ambitious downforce target, even though some of the team’s issues will not be fully resolved until its own windtunnel is up and running (which is scheduled for 2021).
