As per recent developments, McLaren is reportedly bringing massive upgrades at the upcoming Austrian GP. The British team has long been waiting to bring these upgrades to boost their performance, and it is finally time they decided on it.
Even though things might look bright for the Papayas, they might not. As Fernando Alonso has already mentioned about the issues about bringing upgrades in a sprint weekend, it is widely believed that this was not a race where such a huge upgrade should have been brought.
Moreover, the absence of two Free Practices also makes things incredibly trickier to get all the upgrades in place with the perfect settings.
Furthermore, Norris was also asked about it by Mari Becker and the British driver wasn’t sure how much big the upgrade package will be at Red Bull Ring, the home race of the Red Bull Racing.
McLaren played a gamble
As per FIA-accredited journalist Giuliano Duchessa, the crews at the Papayas were spotted with a brand new floor for one of its MCL60.
Duchessa revealed the image on his official Twitter handle and it is believed the brand-new floor might be worth at least $300,000. [with added costs]
#McLaren floor @formu1a__uno #F1 pic.twitter.com/TMbgG7XTGW
— Giuliano Duchessa (@GiulyDuchessa) June 30, 2023
However, the upgrades are only meant for Lando Norris’s MCL60. His teammate Oscar Piastri, on the other hand, will have the upgrades in Silverstone.
Admittedly, the British team has notified F1 that they will bring updates to the Sidepod inlet, Halo, Floor body, Engine cover, and Cooling Louvres.
“Milestone” upgrades by Woking Brigade and its future
As one MCL60 is going to have the expensive and “milestone” upgrade at Red Bull Ring, McLaren would try to improve on their lap times and get closer to the teams ahead.
With the front runners Red Bull, Aston Martin, Mercedes, and Ferrari out of reach, the P5 is the possible destination for the British team.
Ahead of schedule. 👊
Thanks to a relentless push from our team, we’ve got our first step of upgrades here for the #AustrianGP. 🇦🇹
Lando will run with the upgrades this weekend before Oscar also gets them next week with further developments over the upcoming races. pic.twitter.com/5b86G1ADvF
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) June 30, 2023
The target for P5 will be a direct aim against Alpine, the team they competed fiercely last season. Currently, the Woking-based team is 27 points behind Alpine after eight races.
All in all, the Papayas will look to close the gap as soon as possible with these major upgrades in upcoming races in Austria, Silverstone, and Hungaroring, and challenge the French team for P5 in the Constructors’ championship.
