The four McLaren updates that ‘failed’ at the United States GP after F1’s autumn break

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McLaren went into the United States Grand Prix with a spring in their step after taking the lead in the Constructors’ Championship after the summer break.

The 2024 season has been a test of how well each team can develop and implement new updates for their cars and McLaren have arguably done the best job over the course of the year.

McLaren were towards the back of the grid at the start of the 2023 campaign when Oscar Piastri made his debut, but were frontrunners by the time they reached Abu Dhabi.

Andrea Stella’s outfit then appeared to be marginally behind Ferrari and Mercedes with Red Bull well out in front at the start of this season, but an update package delivered in Miami turned the tables.

Lando Norris achieved his first Grand Prix victory and since then, McLaren have surged ahead in the Constructors’ Championship.

Norris’s hopes of catching Max Verstappen in the driver’s standings were already slim before the United States Grand Prix weekend.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Lando Norris’ life outside F1 from parents to celebration

Almost every team brought updates to Austin, and unfortunately for McLaren, what they brought to the circuit didn’t have the desired effect.

Norris marginally lost out on a podium in Sunday’s Grand Prix after picking up a penalty for his move on Verstappen, while Piastri had a quiet weekend overall.

A report from Auto Motor und Sport has now shared what specifically went wrong for Zak Brown’s team. 

The four McLaren updates that ‘failed’ during the United States Grand Prix

According to FIA documentation, McLaren brought seven named updates to Austin.

This included upgrades to their front wing, front suspension, the beam wing and the front and rear corner of the car.

In stark contrast, Ferrari didn’t name a single update they made to their car, although Frederic Vasseur admits Ferrari were creative with the car’s upgrades at the Circuit of the Americas.

Unfortunately, McLaren never looked like the fastest team at COTA, despite Norris securing pole position for Sunday’s Grand Prix.

Verstappen and both Ferrari drivers would have backed themselves to beat Norris’s time had George Russell not ended the session with a crash at turn 19.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about McLaren F1 Team from team principal to engine

According to AMuS, four parts that McLaren updated on their car ‘seemed to have failed to have the desired effect’.

The front wing, modified wishbones, brake ventilation system and the beam wing all didn’t have the desired impact.

Despite this Stella denied that these parts downgraded the car and said: “The data shows that we have improved.

“But we already knew that Austin would be our most difficult track of the rest of the program.”

McLaren and Lando Norris’s tactics questioned after MCL38’s struggles

McLaren made changes to their car throughout the weekend to better protect their tyres and that was easy to see in the race.

Both Norris and Piastri ran longer on their first stint and that put Norris back into contention to secure a podium.

READ MORE: McLaren driver Oscar Piastri’s life outside F1 from height to girlfriend

However, neither driver was ever in the fight to win either race, with Ferrari’s race pace a level above everyone else.

Karun Chandhok questioned McLaren’s decision-making in Norris’s battle with Verstappen, failing to understand why they didn’t tell the Brit to let his title rival back past to avoid being handed a penalty.

Martin Brundle was also left confused by Norris’s approach to the opening corner, heading to the inside of the corner but still leaving too much space for Verstappen to pass him.

These small mistakes have been present throughout the season at McLaren, and although they’re unlikely to be the sole reason Norris doesn’t win the Drivers’ Championship, they have to hope they don’t cost the team the Constructors’ Championship too.