When McLaren are expected to deliver their final ‘sizeable’ upgrade of the 2024 F1 season

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McLaren are on the cusp of achieving something they haven’t managed this century.

Lewis Hamilton delivered McLaren a Drivers’ Championship in 2008 but before his triumph, the last star to win a title for the Woking-based team was Mika Hakkinen in 1999.

Hamilton and Fernando Alonso denied each other a title in 2007 and McLaren were subsequently disqualified from the Constructors’ Championship that year.

That could be about to change this year with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both having phenomenal seasons for McLaren.

They’ve managed to build a 41-point lead over Red Bull in the team standings and are only accelerating away from their nearest rivals.

Norris admitted that Ferrari might be McLaren’s closest rivals for the rest of the season but their troubles during qualifying in Singapore allowed the papaya team to increase their advantage.

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

Tim Hauraney was speaking on the Nailing The Apex Podcast about McLaren’s prospects for the rest of the season.

Although the 2025 season is just around the corner and a brand new set of regulations is being introduced the following year, every team is trying to eke out at least one more upgrade before the end of the campaign.

McLaren have previously delayed adding new parts to the car, given that their rivals have struggled when installing new parts that haven’t behaved as expected.

However, McLaren are expected to deliver a ‘sizeable’ update for the United States Grand Prix to give them one last push towards potentially winning both titles.

McLaren readying ‘sizeable’ update for the United States Grand Prix

When posed a question that McLaren might be spending next year’s budget on this year’s car, Hauraney said: “I don’t think they are.

“There’s no way that that team would spend their [money like that], if anything they’re spending next year’s crash, they’re spending it on next year’s car.

“That’s basically where we’re at with this whole thing.

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

“They are working on parts for this year’s car, they have one more sizeable upgrade.

“They have other little upgrades coming, but they have one more I think sizeable one coming for Austin I believe.

“Then I mean the focus is going to be on the 2025 car, it probably already has been since June.

“So, I mean the money that they’re going to spend, they’re going to spend it on next year’s car, they’re probably already spending it on next year’s car. I wouldn’t be too worried about that, that’s for sure.”

McLaren ‘chasing downforce’ as they look to win their first Constructors’ Championship since 1998

Speaking after the Singapore Grand Prix to Autosport about McLaren’s approach to their upcoming upgrades, chief designer Rob Marshall said: “It’s about chasing downforce all the time. We kind of like to gather the chunks up and deliver it in a big hit.

“So far, we’ve just been focusing on basically gathering those bits up. At some point, hopefully, we’ll have another upgrade to deliver.

“In a way, it’s nice to be delivering lots of little upgrades all the time, a bit like our beam wing here this weekend.

“But equally, sometimes you just have to hold on a little bit while you wait for a chunk of bits to come all at the same time.”

Norris and Piastri have benefitted from McLaren having not only a very fast car but a car that’s much easier to drive than their rivals.

Ferrari have had trouble getting their tyres into the right window and Mercedes simply don’t understand why one tyre compound works and one doesn’t.

Red Bull’s update path has led them to a dead end that Sergio Perez has complained about for some and Verstappen has simply driven around the issues for as long as he can.

The triple-world champion can only do so much, and Red Bull’s proposed upgrade for Austin could make or break their season.