McLaren Brings Season's Biggest Upgrade to Baku, Rotating H-Wing Returns
McLaren is bringing its biggest upgrade package of the second half of the 2026 season to this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix. A new floor, fresh aerodynamic parts, and the return of the rotating 'Macarena' H-Wing - first seen in Monaco but absent in Madrid - are all confirmed for the MCL40. Technical director Rob Marshall said Baku combines the longest straight and the slowest corners on the F1 calendar, meaning the car has to manage a significant trade-off, and predicted all four leading teams have a shot at victory this weekend.
What's Changing
The centerpiece of the package is a new floor, aimed squarely at shoring up the MCL40's known weakness in slow corners. New aero parts arrive alongside it, and the team plans to evaluate everything in practice before settling on final specification for qualifying and the race. The returning rotating H-wing has been developed in a new version tuned for Baku's high downforce demands, with a possible switch to the lower-drag Monaco-spec wing for the circuit's roughly 2km-long straight.
Why Baku, Why Now
Marshall said 'Baku is an extreme circuit, combining the longest straight with the slowest corners, so we have to manage significant trade-offs.' McLaren is still balancing continued development of its current car against preparation for the new 2027 regulations, so committing its largest upgrade of the second half of the season to Baku signals how much the team values track position over the remaining races.
A Four-Way Fight for the Win
Unveiling the upgrade, Marshall assessed that all four of the leading teams have a genuine chance of winning in Baku. He added that on one of F1's most unforgiving street circuits, flawless race execution matters as much as raw pace. With the new parts set to run from Thursday practice onward, attention now turns to whether McLaren can convert the upgrade into results in qualifying and Saturday's race.
Rivals Aren't Standing Still Either
McLaren isn't the only team bringing new parts to Baku. With the season's remaining points battles intensifying, the leading teams are all expected to roll out updates this weekend, making Thursday and Friday practice the first real gauge of how much performance each package actually delivers. Whether McLaren's new floor translates its slow-corner gains into real lap time is shaping up as one of the key storylines heading into Friday's qualifying.