McLaren will introduce a new rear wing assembly at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, as the team braces for what it describes as one of the most energy-demanding rounds on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar at Spa-Francorchamps.
Neil Houldey, McLaren’s Technical Director of Applied Engineering, confirmed the upgrade has been in the development pipeline and said the team used extensive simulation work to prepare for the weekend. However, he tempered expectations following a difficult British Grand Prix where the team struggled with outright performance.
“We’re arriving at Spa with a new rear wing assembly, an upgrade we’ve had in the pipeline as part of the car’s development pathway,” Houldey said. “We’re confident that this update will add a bit of performance to our car, but we are fully aware that after a difficult British Grand Prix, mainly in terms of pure performance, even this round won’t be that easy, so we won’t be expecting any big change in terms of competitiveness.”
The energy management challenge posed by Spa-Francorchamps under the 2026 regulations is a central concern for McLaren heading into the weekend. The circuit’s combination of long straights, high-speed corners, and significant elevation changes places enormous strain on the new-generation power units. Houldey warned that teams and drivers will face significant periods of super clip — the energy-saving mode that limits power deployment — throughout the race.
“The Belgian Grand Prix is going to be incredibly challenging from an energy management perspective. It’s one of the most energy-starved tracks on the calendar,” Houldey said. “We anticipate seeing a significant amount of super clip, which will test both the car and the drivers.”
Unpredictable weather could add another layer of complexity. Houldey said McLaren views potential wet conditions as a valuable opportunity to gather data on the 2026 car’s behavior in low-grip situations, information the team has yet to collect in race conditions this season.
McLaren sits third in the Constructors’ Championship with 179 points, 76 points behind second place. At the previous round at Silverstone, Lando Norris secured a podium finish in the Sprint and drove from further back to finish fourth in the Grand Prix, while Oscar Piastri was classified 11th after opening-lap contact forced an unscheduled pit stop for a new front wing.
The broader championship picture sees Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli leading the drivers’ standings heading into Spa, though his advantage has been trimmed to 25 points over teammate George Russell after reliability problems at Silverstone, according to Formula 1. Charles Leclerc arrives with momentum after scoring his first victory since 2024 at the British Grand Prix, with Ferrari hoping to sustain that form at a circuit that has historically rewarded both car performance and driver skill.
The Belgian Grand Prix weekend runs from July 17 to 19 at the 7.004-kilometer Spa-Francorchamps circuit in the Ardennes region.