Dakar Rally News: McLaren Brings Notable Aerodynamic Upgrades to Challenge Rivals
The Dakar Rally has seen an intense battle between the top teams, and McLaren has emerged as a formidable challenger to the dominant forces in recent months. Despite not introducing any major car developments since its Miami upgrade, the papaya team has unleashed a notable development step aimed at improving the aerodynamic efficiency of its Dakar challenger, the MCL38.
According to Chief Designer Rob Marshall, the team’s latest upgrades have the potential to deliver a “decent chunk” of additional performance, though he cautions that it’s still too early to judge the full extent of the gains. “It over-delivered the Miami one, it was a bit of a surprise to us how successful it was,” he said. “Hopefully, it’s a decent chunk again, but it’s less clear.”
The key changes can be seen at the front of the car, where McLaren has introduced a revised brake duct scoop to find the right balance between cooling performance and aerodynamic flow. The front suspension fairings have also been modified to accommodate these changes, with the floor and edge wing also receiving subtle but meaningful revisions to the geometry and contours.
At the rear, the team has a new bi-plane style beam wing arrangement, paired with a higher downforce rear wing solution that is expected to become the new de facto choice for high-downforce circuits. “If it delivers what we think, it will just become our new high downforce rear wing, and it will obsolete the old one,” explained Marshall.
The tricky weather conditions during Friday’s running may have hindered McLaren’s ability to fully assess the gains from the upgrades, with the team opting to use both the old and new rear wing specifications on their cars. However, they are expected to converge on the new configuration as the weekend progresses.
The Dakar Rally’s intense competition means that every update and development can make a crucial difference. McLaren’s latest aerodynamic push demonstrates their determination to challenge the frontrunners and potentially shake up the order in the upcoming events. Fans and enthusiasts will be eagerly watching to see if these upgrades can propel the team closer to the top of the leaderboard.
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