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McLaren may have to throw expensive F1 upgrade ‘in the bin’ after discovering ‘structural’ weakness

McLaren showed up to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with an upgraded car but it didn’t work out as the team hoped it would. In Baku…

F1 Oversteer

Published: Tuesday, 29 September 2026 at 7:00 PM

Key Things to Know

Alex Brundle suggests McLaren may have to discard their new sidepod upgrade due to structural weakness.
McLaren introduced the aerodynamic upgrade at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where neither driver scored points.
Cracks were spotted in the floorboards and Lando Norris was instructed to avoid kerbs during the race.

The Story in 60 Seconds

McLaren introduced a revised sidepod upgrade on the MCL40 at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, but both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri failed to score points in Baku. Team principal Andrea Stella warned of high-priority issues to address after the race, while analyst Alex Brundle suggested the new parts might need to be discarded due to structural integrity concerns observed throughout the weekend.

Brundle pointed out visible cracks in the floorboards and noted that Norris was told to avoid kerbs during the race. While the next round at the Sepang Circuit in Malaysia may suit the car better, uncertainty remains over whether McLaren can continue using the package.

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