McLaren debuts key F1 upgrades for Belgian Grand Prix

McLaren brings a significant upgrade package to the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix including a fresh Mercedes power unit and a new rear wing as the team looks to recover competitive ground before Formula 1’s summer shutdown.

The move comes after a difficult run of reliability issues and uneven results from the MCL40, and while the Woking-based outfit is tempering expectations, the timing of the update suggests the team believes Spa-Francorchamps is the right place to take a meaningful step forward.

McLaren’s decision to finally switch to the latest-spec engine is especially important because the team delayed adopting the new unit when Mercedes first introduced it at the Red Bull Ring, and then again when Williams and Alpine moved to the updated package at Silverstone.

McLaren CEO Zak Brown revealed the delay came about because the existing power units still had usable mileage remaining before introducing new components.

That means McLaren debuts key F1 upgrades at a circuit where straight-line speed matters, particularly through the fast first and third sectors, and that should bring an immediate benefit.

For a team that has already fallen behind on engine mileage and suffered component failures including the battery which led to a double DNS at the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this year, the fresh Mercedes installation could also reduce the risk of further setbacks during a demanding weekend.

The aerodynamic side of the package is no less interesting, because McLaren is also trialling a new rear wing at Spa during Friday practice.

According to McLaren technical director of applied engineering Neil Houldey, the wing has been in the development pipeline for some time, and the squad believes it should add performance, even if McLaren is not promising a dramatic shift in competitiveness right away.

“Our preparation has been thorough, using extensive simulation work to get ahead of what we know will be a very demanding weekend for energy management,” said Houldey. “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.

“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 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. We anticipate seeing a significant amount of super clip, which will test both the car and the drivers.

“Furthermore, the forecast looks unpredictable. While wet weather presents its own difficulties, we see it as a valuable opportunity to finally potentially run this car in the wet and understand its behaviour in low-grip conditions, which could provide crucial data for the rest of the season.”

McLaren heads to Spa-Francorchamps lagging behind Mercedes and Ferrari in the standings, while Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri trail leader Kimi Antonelli by 82 and 97 points, respectively.