The MCL39 follows the World Constructors' Championship-winning MCL38. Favoured by commentators to defend McLaren's title, the MCL39 has won twelveGrands Prix, Piastri having won seven and Norris five. The car has also scored nine pole positions, set eleven fastest laps, and finished on the podium a total of twenty-seven times.
The MCL39 follows the MCL38, McLaren's first championship-winning Formula One car since 1998.[2] Having won the Constructors' Championship in 2024, McLaren will be allowed only 70% the allocation of wind tunnel testing time baseline. Team principal Andrea Stella said he believed McLaren could overcome this disadvantage by improving efficiency elsewhere in the aerodynamic design process.[3]
McLaren's success in developing a front wing that could flex significantly under aerodynamic load during the 2024 season was considered instrumental in overcoming Red Bull's dominance in the ground effect era.[4] New restrictions to combat this use of wing flexibility were introduced, effective from the ninth race of the season (the Spanish Grand Prix).[4] Stella said the team had planned for a "small adjustment" that would be implemented with the new restrictions, but denied they would negatively impact the team.[5]
Initial design and development
The MCL39 (pictured being built up ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix) made several improvements on the championship-winning MCL38.
McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown said the team would take a "brave risk" approach to designing the MCL39.[2] Engineering director Neil Houldey said McLaren would not compromise any of its 2025 development despite an entirely new set of technical regulations and engine formula being introduced in 2026.[6] Stella said the team believed it had "maintained the rate of development" it had shown in 2023 and 2024 and that the MCL39 followed the same "linear trend" as the MCL60 and MCL38.[7]
The MCL39 was the first McLaren car that lead designer Rob Marshall oversaw from its beginning.[8] The car was a significant technical development over the MCL38, exhibiting substantial layout changes.[8][9] The MCL39 appeared to have shifted its radiators further up and backward compared to the MCL38.[7] It retained the front pullrod and rear pushrod suspension layout, but with increased anti-dive measures to better control the car's ride height.[7][10] Other visible changes included new sidepod inlet shapes, revised engine cover bodywork, and a new, wider airbox inlet shape.[8][10]
Stella said the team would deliver several early-season updates, consistent with McLaren's development plan in recent seasons.[8][11]
The MCL39 used a one-off papaya orange and black geometric dazzle camouflage pattern for its pre-season filming day, as all teams had committed to launching their season liveries at a dedicated event.[12][13]
The car's season livery was substantially identical to that of the MCL38.[14] McLaren issued a statement explaining that the team had never changed its livery the season after a championship win and never substantially changed a livery during a period of sustained success.[14]
A special livery inspired by the McLaren M7A – the car that first featured McLaren's papaya livery – was used for the Monaco and Spanish Grands Prix.[15]
For the British Grand Prix, McLaren once again used a chrome livery inspired by those used from 2006–2014, following on from positive fan reception of those used in 2023 and 2024, but with more chrome than in those years.
Competition and development history
Pre-season
McLaren were considered favourites to win a second consecutive World Constructors' Championship in 2025.[16][17][8] Norris was the favourite to win the World Drivers' Championship,[17][8] although Piastri also said he was a serious contender for the title.[18] The MCL39 was first run on track in a private filming day at Silverstone in February 2025, driven by both Norris and Piastri.[12] Stella stated that this version of the car was substantially the same as that which would be run in the official pre-season test.[9][8]
During the test, Norris said the car handled similarly to its predecessor; he also said the rear end of the car was less stable than the team wanted.[19][20] Other teams widely considered the MCL39 to have a performance advantage over the rest of the field.[21][22][23]
Opening rounds
Norris qualified on pole and Piastri second for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.[24] The race was held in mixed conditions, and was interrupted by several safety car periods.[25] Piastri lost second place to Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing on the opening lap but regained the position later on and ran in second behind Norris.[25] Shortly after switching to slick tyres as the track dried, both drivers went off at the same corner when rain returned.[26] Although Norris managed to continue and pit to return to intermediate tyres, Piastri was stranded on a grass run-off.[26] Piastri rejoined the race a lap down after slowly reversing off the grass.[27] Norris won the race and set the fastest lap, and Piastri recovered to finish ninth.[26] The result placed McLaren first in the World Constructors' Championship, and the drivers first and ninth in the World Drivers' Championship (WDC).
The Chinese Grand Prix was the first round of the season to use the sprint format. Piastri qualified for the sprint second,[28] and Norris, who made an error in his final lap, qualified sixth.[29] Piastri finished the sprint second.[30] Norris made another error at the start, losing positions and finishing eighth.[29] Piastri qualified on pole for the Grand Prix for the first time in his career and Norris qualified third.[31] Piastri won the race and Norris – whose brakes began to fail in the closing laps of the race – finished second, moving Piastri up to fourth and allowing Norris to retain his lead in the WDC.[32] Media and other teams speculated throughout the weekend on the prospect of McLaren being negatively affected by stricter rear wing regulations introduced ahead of the round, which did not eventuate.[33]
Norris qualified second and Piastri third for the Japanese Grand Prix,[34] and they finished the race in those positions. Piastri improved to third in the WDC, while Norris' rival Verstappen, who won the race, trailed one point behind him.
McLaren introduced a new front brake duct winglet at the Bahrain Grand Prix.[35] Piastri qualified on pole and Norris sixth. Norris overshot his grid-box at the race start and received a five second time penalty. Piastri won the race, moving him to second, and Norris made up places during the race to finish in third place, narrowly retaining his WDC lead with Piastri just three points behind.[36]
Piastri qualified second for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, but Norris crashed during the final stage of qualifying, leaving him tenth.[37] Piastri won the race, and Norris recovered to finish fourth.[38] Piastri took the lead of the WDC from Norris.
North American and early European rounds
Piastri and Norris qualified second and third, respectively, for the Miami Grand Prix sprint event. Norris won the sprint ahead of teammate Piastri after a well-timed safety car allowed him to jump his teammate.[39] Norris qualified second for the main race, while Piastri qualified fourth; Piastri made up three places to win the race ahead of Norris.[40]
Piastri qualified on pole at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, and Norris qualified fourth. Piastri lost position to Verstappen on the opening lap, and Norris improved to second. Piastri finished third.[41]
McLaren ran the MCL39 in a special livery at the Monaco Grand Prix (see §Liveries).[15] Norris qualified on pole and Piastri third, and they finished the race in those positions.
Stricter front wing tests were introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix; McLaren had previously tested its revised design in practice at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and concluded the MCL39 would not be affected.[42][43] The car was again run in its special livery (see §Liveries).[15] Piastri qualified on pole and Norris second, the same positions they finished the race in. Piastri set the fastest lap of the race.
Two upgrades were introduced at the Canadian Grand Prix to both the chassis and suspension fairing junctions, likely due to the stricter testing from Spain onwards, which only Norris ran.[44] Piastri qualified third and Norris seventh; Norris attributed the result to over-driving resulting in errors.[45] Piastri finished fourth while Norris crashed late in the race while attempting to overtake Piastri. While on the left side of the start-finish straight, Norris hit the rear end of Piastri, forcing Norris to hit the wall and ending his race. As he had completed over 90% of the scheduled race distance, Norris was classified eighteenth. Norris said he was at fault for the incident, and Stella said that "he paid a price" in the WDC.[46][47]
Before the Austrian Grand Prix, Houldey confirmed another set of minor upgrades to Norris' car, specifically around the rear suspension, claiming that "We've added something we believe will offer more stability at corner entry".[48] Norris qualified on pole position while Piastri qualified third. Norris won and Piastri improved to second.
Mid-season rounds
Piastri and Norris qualified second and third respectively for the British Grand Prix. Piastri overtook Verstappen on lap 8. Norris does the same after Verstappen goes off the track later in the race. During a safety car restart on lap 21, Piastri braked heavily, causing Verstappen to temporarily overtake Piastri due to evasive action needed. As a result of this, Piastri received a 10-second time penalty and once served, he finished in second position with Norris taking victory, shortening the WDC gap to 8 points.[49] McLaren had unveiled another special livery this weekend based on their mid-2000s & early-2010s chrome livery as well as the team's "Triple Crown" livery from the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix, (see §Liveries).[50]
At the Belgian Grand Prix, another upgrade was made to the rear wing to improve the overall efficiency "across a similar drag range".[51] Piastri qualified on pole position for the sprint with Norris third. Piastri finished second while Norris kept third position. The main qualifying event had Norris qualify on pole with Piastri second. In the race, Piastri overtook Norris and finished in first and second, respectively.[52]
At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Piastri qualified second and Norris third. In the race, Piastri overtook Charles Leclerc shortly after the second pit stop cycle, while Norris switched to a one-stop strategy, allowing him to win the race. Piastri was unable to retake first place from Norris, and finished second.[53]
Piastri led the Dutch Grand Prix from lights to flag, taking his maiden career grand chelem, while Norris, who was behind him, suffered a late-stage oil leak, denying McLaren a 1-2 finish. Norris was ultimately classified in eighteenth, having completed 90% of the race prior to his retirement.[54]
Norris and Piastri found themselves paceless against polesitter Verstappen at the Italian Grand Prix, settling for the final two positions on the podium.[55] Norris' fastest lap was the fastest race lap in Formula One history, averaging 257.781km/h (160.178mph) and beating Rubens Barrichello's record from the 2004 Italian Grand Prix.[56]
Assessment and characteristics
The car was recognised early in the season for its high aerodynamic downforce, efficiency, and balance, whereas its immediate competitors often struggled to maintain balance through corners and maintain efficiency at different speeds.[57] Defending World Drivers' Champion Max Verstappen said of McLaren's advantage that "Oh, it's big", and the RB21 comparatively lacked balance and especially grip.[58] McLaren found that the car struggled on new tyres, which partly explained some early qualifying difficulties, which required some adjustments to car set-up.[59]
The MCL39 attracted significant attention for its rear brake duct designs, especially from rival constructor Red Bull Racing who filed protests with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).[60] The FIA investigated and confirmed the design was fully compliant.[60][61] Although the details of its design are not publicly known, the MCL39's ducts allow it to manage rear tyre temperatures far better than the rest of the field, especially noticeable at circuits that place high thermal stress on the rear tyres.[60]Gary Anderson suggested that alternatively, the advantage could be partly attributed to car's rear suspension better controlling lift, giving the car a higher rear roll centre and improving traction out of low-speed corners.[62]
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