Lando Norris
McLaren
Mercedes
Red Bull
Ferrari
Williams
Racing Bulls
Aston Martin
Haas
Alpine
Ted Kravitz and Bernie Collins “really like” the way McLaren have varied the cooling vents on Lando Norris’ car at the 2026 F1 Australian Grand Prix to rivals like Ferrari.
Kravitz and Collins enjoyed a close look at Norris’ MCL40 in the pit lane at Albert Park ahead of the first FP1 session of the 2026 season this Friday. It was immediately evident to the pair that McLaren’s engine cover features far fewer cooling vents, compared to their rival teams.
Practice at the Australian GP did not get off flawlessly for the papaya outfit once the session started, though. Oscar Piastri encountered a power deployment issue after he exited the pit lane at the top of the hour, and Norris’ FP1 in Australia ended early with a gearbox problem.
McLaren have not arrived at the first round of the 2026 F1 season as a podium contender, at least for some figures in the paddock. Guenther Steiner does not believe a McLaren podium in Australia will be “realistic”, given the Woking squad are an engine customer of Mercedes.
Fernando Alonso is forced to sit out the first FP1 of 2026 at the Australian Grand Prix
How long will it be before Alonso loses faith in Honda?
McLaren have far fewer cooling vents than Mercedes and Ferrari at the Australian Grand Prix
Despite Mercedes having a better understanding of their power unit and its requirements at the start of the 2026 F1 regulations era compared to McLaren, the papaya crew have caught the eye at Albert Park by having far fewer cooling vents to keep their car cool this weekend.
READ MORE: All you need to know about the 2026 F1 season, from the calendar to drivers
Speaking with Collins before FP1 at the Australian GP this Friday, Kravitz noted how McLaren have a thin line of louvres on either side of the shark fin on Norris’ car. Kravitz believes their concept varies significantly from their front-running rivals, who required a lot more cooling.
Kravitz said on Sky Sports F1 (06/03, 01:12): “You spotted something interesting on the McLaren engine. So, the engine fins are back. And I don’t know really why it’s stepped, but there must be a good reason.”
To which, Collins added: “I think they’re maximising the volume that they can use in the step. But what I really like about this McLaren, in order to keep the sidepods as clean as possible, the cooling vents are actually just on each side of this fin.
“And that means that all of the air coming through the sidepod to the rear of the car is clean. There’s no interruption on the sidepod, which is beautiful.”
Kravitz added: “It is really beautiful. McLaren are leading the way on keeping the car cool and doing that efficiently, because you look at the Ferrari, you look at the Mercedes, you even look at the Red Bull, and they’ve got vents, they’ve got louvres in these bodyworkspaces, and McLaren haven’t. So, they’re really on top of that.”
McLaren’s cooling vent solution at Albert Park will offer aerodynamic advantages
Charles Leclerc sets the pace in FP1 at the 2026 Australian Grand Prix
Are Mercedes still sandbagging their pace at Albert Park?
McLaren using far fewer cooling vents than their rival top teams at the Australian GP shows positive signs for Norris and Piastri, as the papaya team adapt to the 2026 F1 regulations. It also suggests the Woking squad are already starting to understand Mercedes’ latest engine.
Cooling the new power units that now feature an almost 50/50 split between electrical and combustion power will be one of the main areas of development in 2026. Aston Martin had extra cooling vents during testing in Bahrain, for example, to cool their new Honda engine.
McLaren’s concept should also prove beneficial for Norris and Piastri, as using fewer louvres on the bodywork will make the MCL40 more aerodynamically efficient. But it remains to be seen whether McLaren will have to use more cooling vents at the races in hotter conditions.
Receive exclusive F1 news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
