McLaren’s Canadian Grand Prix upgrade could give Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri a race-winning car

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McLaren are set to debut further upgrades for the MCL40 at the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix, and their front wing could give Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri a race-winning car.

The papaya outfit have won the past two constructors’ titles and Norris won the drivers’ title for the first time in his career last season. But McLaren only made a steady start to F1’s 2026 regulations, after opting to stick with a basic version of the MCL40 through the early rounds.

F1 cancelling the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia gave all of the teams more time to refine their upgrades for the Miami Grand Prix last time out, though. And McLaren were one of the busiest teams in Florida, with only Ferrari unveiling more upgrades with 11 than their seven.

Norris won the F1 Sprint in Miami in a McLaren one-two ahead of Piastri thanks to their raft of upgrades for the MCL40. Yet the Woking crew only unveiled 60% of their updates at Hard Rock Stadium, with the remaining 40% now set to be debuted this week at the Canadian GP.

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McLaren’s new front wing upgrade could see Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri win in Canada

McLaren’s front wing upgrade in Miami proved to be a massive help for Norris and Piastri, as the pair reaped the rewards from their team’s new design significantly improving the overall aerodynamic balance of the car. The wing increased the outwash effect along the sidepods.

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Canadian GP moments including Lewis Hamilton’s blunder

Yet, according to Auto Moto und Sport, among McLaren’s upgrade package for the Canadian GP will be another front wing update. The papaya team believe they can further refine their design to enhance the MCL40’s speed in slow-speed corners after also reducing its weight.

McLaren’s upgrades in Miami already delivered a big boost, as well, as Motorsport.com says they gained 0.3 seconds per lap in terms of race pace. Now, unveiling further updates could help McLaren to thwart Mercedes’ expected 0.3s per lap gain with their updates in Canada.

Norris and Piastri will likely welcome McLaren further improving the MCL40’s capabilities in slow-speed corners with another front wing upgrade, as their car’s natural strength should be very valuable at the Canadian GP given the layout of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve’s turns.

Only the final chicane – home to the famous Wall of Champions – on Ile Notre-Dame can be deemed a high-speed corner (excluding the kink at Turn 5, as it is essentially a straight from T4 to T6). And the forecast for the Canadian GP could yet play further into McLaren’s hands.

Rain is on the forecast for race day, which will make it even more important to have a quick car in slow corners like McLaren could give Piastri and Norris for Sunday’s main event. Thus, their front wing upgrade could be what McLaren need for their first Grand Prix win of 2026.

Norris may have the Miami Sprint victory to his name, and another Sprint is on the schedule in Canada, but the Briton is now seven Grands Prix without a win. Piastri, meanwhile, is now 13 races without a Grand Prix win, stretching back to the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix last August.