Belgium Tech Corner: McLaren Rear End

On the return from the summer break, McLaren have brought a number of key upgrades in a bid to give an upturn in fortunes for their MP4-29 challenger. They’ve concentrated on the rear of the car, but with the gradual shift away from their ‘Wishbone Wings’ (see Mid-season Tech Report: Part 2), the Spa-spec car featured just two of these ‘wings’ (circled in red), blanketing the lower rear suspension parts. This will certainly provide a decrease in drag, as a Diffuser’s drag is usually proportional to lift, so take away the downforce inducing ‘Wishbone Wings’ and reduce the drag the rear end creates. They’ve also introduced a U-shaped bend in the middle of the Diffuser (highlighted in yellow, inset), in a similar style to the one Mercedes introduced at the start of the season. This relatively simple inclusion yields not only an aerodynamic gain, as it allows airflow from the top of the floor to interact with the diffuser, but also gives access to the starting motor at the rear of the car.