McLaren will bring a package of aerodynamic upgrades to the final Dutch Grand Prix at Circuit Zandvoort this weekend, including a new rear wing and rear brake ducts designed to complete the development introduced at the Hungarian Grand Prix before the summer break.
The McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 Team confirmed the upgrades in its official race preview, with the rear-focused components aimed at extracting further performance from the MCL40 as the squad targets consistency across the second half of the season. McLaren currently sits third in the Constructors’ Championship with 220 points, 87 behind second place, after 11 rounds. Lando Norris is fifth in the Drivers’ standings and Oscar Piastri seventh.
The weekend marks the end of Zandvoort’s current run on the Formula 1 calendar, with the Dutch Grand Prix not scheduled to return in 2027. It will also be the circuit’s first experience of the Sprint format, offering additional points-scoring opportunities. McLaren enters the event with momentum after Norris secured the team’s first victory of the year at the Hungaroring, where Piastri was also fighting for the win before retiring.
“We head into the Zandvoort weekend after finishing the final race before the shutdown with a win and a strong performance, but we are very aware of how close the competition is and how important reliability will be,” the team stated. “We have also worked hard as a team on continued development, with some parts available this weekend, focusing on the rear side, to complete the package introduced in Hungary.”
McLaren’s engineering team highlighted the unique challenges posed by Zandvoort’s layout, including banked corners, high-speed sections, undulating terrain, and unpredictable wind conditions. Under the 2026 regulations, cornering speeds are expected to be lower due to reduced downforce, while straight-line speeds will be higher thanks to increased power and reduced drag in straight-line mode. The team said practice sessions will be critical for understanding the new parts, refining energy harvest and deployment strategies, and adapting to potential weather complications.
The Dutch Grand Prix has been won from pole position in each of the five years since its return to the calendar, underscoring the importance of qualifying at a circuit where overtaking opportunities are scarce. The primary passing zone remains Turn 1, known as Tarzan Corner, where the wide entry allows side-by-side racing. Beyond that, corners come in rapid succession with gravel traps punishing errors, as reflected by three Safety Car deployments during last year’s race.
McLaren boasts a strong record at Zandvoort, with five victories at the circuit courtesy of five different drivers. Norris won in 2024 and Piastri in 2025, joining James Hunt, Alain Prost, and Niki Lauda as McLaren winners at the venue. A victory this weekend would give the team a hat-trick of consecutive Dutch Grand Prix wins.
With 12 races remaining in the 2026 season, McLaren said its objective is unchanged. “We are moving into an extremely demanding second half of the season, and the team’s attention remains firmly on our own development and performance as we build on the work completed in the first half of the season to target greater consistency in extracting performance from the MCL40.”