- Mclaren Bring Fresh Baku Upgrades as Norris Targets Four-Way Fight for Azerbaijan Win
McLaren will introduce another aerodynamic upgrade package at this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix as the reigning constructors’ champions seek to turn their recent resurgence into another victory in what they expect to be a four-way battle with Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.
The Woking team has emerged as a front-running force after failing to win any of the opening 10 races of the 2026 season, with Lando Norris taking three pole positions across the last four rounds and two victories during that run.
Baku will now test whether the latest development work has moved the MCL40 another step closer to the benchmark at the front.
The new package is designed principally to improve the car’s aerodynamic performance and will be evaluated during practice before McLaren commits to its final qualifying and race configuration.
The team will also bring back its distinctive H-Wing, first used at Monza but absent in Madrid, because Baku’s unusually long straights make drag reduction particularly valuable.
“As part of the team’s continued journey throughout the 2026 season, the team will bring to Baku a set of upgrades aimed to improve the aerodynamic performance of the MCL40,” McLaren said.
The development push comes after Norris missed a realistic chance of another victory at the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. He started from pole and appeared capable of controlling the race before an unfortunately timed Virtual Safety Car denied him the opportunity to make the most of a pit-stop window, contributing to a third-place finish.
Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, finished eighth after sustaining early front-wing damage, leaving McLaren encouraged by the underlying pace even though the final result did not reflect it.
McLaren’s recent improvement has been driven in part by a steady stream of upgrades to the MCL40, reinforcing the team’s reputation for developing strongly through a season.
Chief Technical Officer and Chief Designer Rob Marshall said the team remains committed to extracting more performance from the current car despite the need to allocate resources to its 2027 project.
“Our immediate focus is on delivering more performance and fighting for more victories in 2026, while carrying forward everything we learn,” he said.
That balancing act is becoming increasingly important because McLaren’s championship position remains difficult despite its improved race-winning form.
The team enters Round 15 on 306 points, 52 points behind second place in the constructors’ standings, while Norris sits fourth in the drivers’ championship and Piastri seventh.
McLaren’s title prospects may therefore be limited, but the performance gains achieved over the past several rounds make individual race victories an increasingly realistic objective.
Baku presents one of the most unusual technical combinations on the Formula One calendar. The 6km street circuit combines a 2.2km main straight with slow 90-degree corners, heavy braking zones and the extremely narrow castle section, forcing teams to compromise between straight-line efficiency and low-speed grip.
A car configured with too much downforce can lose heavily on the long run towards Turn One, while an overly trimmed set-up can leave drivers struggling for traction and confidence through the slower sections.
Marshall said energy deployment, tyre preparation and brake temperatures would be particularly important because drivers arrive at Turn One after such an extended full-throttle section.
“Operationally, there is very little margin for error on a tight street circuit,” he said, warning that even a minor mistake can create substantial repair work and cost valuable track time.
That makes Baku not merely an aerodynamic test but also an examination of execution, reliability and driver confidence around walls that punish errors immediately.
McLaren believes the circuit characteristics could compress the leading group rather than produce a dominant favourite.
“We expect any of the top four teams to be capable of winning in Baku, with the chasing pack also getting closer, and we hope to be firmly in the fight at the front,” Marshall said.
That forecast places Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren within the same competitive frame, turning qualifying and race strategy into potentially decisive factors.
The return of the H-Wing could become one of McLaren’s most closely watched technical choices.
The component is intended to reduce drag under the conditions where straight-line efficiency becomes critical, making Baku an obvious venue for its reintroduction after Monza.
McLaren has said all new parts will be evaluated through practice, meaning the team retains the option of adjusting or abandoning elements of the package if simulation gains fail to translate cleanly to the circuit.
Norris arrives with momentum despite the Madrid disappointment, having become increasingly consistent over one lap as the MCL40’s operating window has widened.
Piastri also has positive memories of Baku after winning the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a race in which he overtook Charles Leclerc for the lead and helped McLaren move to the top of that season’s constructors’ championship.
That experience gives McLaren two drivers with reason to believe they can exploit a circuit where confidence under braking and precision close to the barriers can be decisive.
The Azerbaijan weekend also carries an unusual schedule, with the Grand Prix taking place on Saturday, September 26, rather than the traditional Sunday slot.
Practice will begin on Thursday, qualifying will be held on Friday and the race will start at 15:00 local time in Baku, equivalent to midday in the UK.
The altered schedule shortens the normal rhythm of a Formula One weekend and makes early understanding of the upgrade package even more important.
For McLaren, the significance of Baku extends beyond one race result. A strong performance would provide further evidence that the development direction pursued through the middle of the season has transformed the MCL40 into a car capable of challenging consistently across very different circuit types, while weakness would expose whether its recent competitiveness has depended more heavily on track characteristics.
With Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull expected to remain within reach, Azerbaijan may provide the clearest test yet of whether McLaren’s resurgence has become a sustained four-team fight at the front.
