McLaren has confirmed its experimental rear wing will not run at the start of Free Practice 1 at the Austrian Grand Prix as originally planned, with the team acknowledging that further preparation work is required before the component is ready for track use.
The team’s Applied Engineering Technical Director, Neil Houldey, revealed the development setback ahead of the weekend at the Red Bull Ring, stating that the test item will return to McLaren’s Woking headquarters for continued development. The team has, however, introduced upgraded rear brake ducts that Houldey said will deliver a performance gain.
“Even when we’re not testing large upgrades, we’re always bringing something that adds performance and lap time to the car,” Houldey said. “Even though this event is lighter than recent races in terms of what we’re adding to the package, we’re always looking for lap-time opportunities wherever we can to maintain the momentum in our development programme.”
The Austrian Grand Prix weekend features three practice sessions rather than a Sprint format, giving McLaren additional time to work through setup variables. Houldey outlined the team’s priorities as understanding car balance, modifying heave and roll stiffnesses, analyzing tyre behavior across compounds, and optimizing ride height for aerodynamic performance.
Under Formula 1’s 2026 regulations, cars are running softer suspensions and higher ride heights than in previous years. “The intention of these regulations was to move away from the mega-stiff, mega-low cars that were bouncing and hitting the ground on every straight and into the braking zones,” Houldey explained. “Typically, we’re running rear ride a little higher than last year, and that will give the drivers a few more options.”
Houldey also confirmed that McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri will handle all practice sessions this weekend, with no rookie running planned. The Red Bull Ring’s demanding energy management requirements under the new power unit regulations made it unsuitable for a rookie outing. “This year, the Red Bull Ring is a track that will require a lot of energy management, and that’s something we need to get our race drivers familiar with immediately,” Houldey said.
Despite the shelved rear wing, Houldey expressed cautious optimism about McLaren’s prospects at a circuit whose stop-and-go layout has historically suited the team. He noted that the competitive picture remains fluid, pointing to Mercedes and Ferrari trading pace advantages at the previous round in Barcelona, and highlighting that Red Bull has brought a significant upgrade package to its home race.
“I think the track this weekend will suit our car and our drivers, and I think we’ll be in the condition to fight for the first three rows of the grid,” Houldey said. “But we’ll know more after today.”