McLaren MCL39

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Slahinki
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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De Wet wrote:
30 Oct 2025, 15:41
https://i.ibb.co/wFFDdXJn/Mc-Laren-MCL3 ... ouvres.jpg


Nice attention to detail on this car...
Isn't that just the root of the halo?

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organic
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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Slahinki wrote:
30 Oct 2025, 15:55
De Wet wrote:
30 Oct 2025, 15:41
https://i.ibb.co/wFFDdXJn/Mc-Laren-MCL3 ... ouvres.jpg


Nice attention to detail on this car...
Isn't that just the root of the halo?
Yes

Here is another angle Image

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SilviuAgo
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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A close comparison between the McLaren MCL39 and the Red Bull RB21 front-end designs, courtesy of formula1.pitstops



And also a comparison between the floor design of the Red Bull RB21 and the McLaren MCL39


Farnborough
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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Interesting perspective SilviuAgo.

Myself and Venky have been noting that RB nose/wing combination in discussion elsewhere, this because it appears important in bringing their competitive plane closer to McL, subsequently to give us this current championship contention.

The Mcl appearing to making best use of conventional/normalised outlook across the field, while the RB engages quite different localised characteristics.
The RB appears to be running and flatter Chord orientation just out from nose cone, with more dramatic camber to the surface.
I can't see that going unnoticed by the McL team in looking at development (or others for that matter) but too late in this season to evrn think realistically about response in last races.

I like like to see good comparison images that let us see the variance in team's approach to the same problem.

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SilviuAgo
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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Farnborough wrote:
31 Oct 2025, 13:07
Interesting perspective SilviuAgo.

Myself and Venky have been noting that RB nose/wing combination in discussion elsewhere, this because it appears important in bringing their competitive plane closer to McL, subsequently to give us this current championship contention.

The Mcl appearing to making best use of conventional/normalised outlook across the field, while the RB engages quite different localised characteristics.
The RB appears to be running and flatter Chord orientation just out from nose cone, with more dramatic camber to the surface.
I can't see that going unnoticed by the McL team in looking at development (or others for that matter) but too late in this season to evrn think realistically about response in last races.

I like like to see good comparison images that let us see the variance in team's approach to the same problem.
Thank you. And regarding comparison, this a nice side by side from Mexico.


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venkyhere
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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SilviuAgo wrote:
31 Oct 2025, 08:08
A close comparison between the McLaren MCL39 and the Red Bull RB21 front-end designs, courtesy of formula1.pitstops

Very useful picture.
To my eye, looks as if only the McL39's 1st element is downwash-y, but the RB21's 1st & 2nd elements are downwash-y. The 3rd element of the RB21 is huge (even if we take into account the scale difference b/w the pics) compared to the 3rd of the McL39. That the RB21 can get 'attached flow' on their large-chorded 3rd element's low pressure side, despite the downwash from the 1st+2nd elements, is very impressive.
What we are not seeing in this image is how larger the chord of the wing elements are, in lateral direction, in case of the RB21 (esp the 4th one) w.r.t McL39 ; and hence offer more DF and have more drag penalty (we anyway know that towards the lateral ends, all wings make the flow outwash-y).
What I am unable to conjecture, specifically in the portion of the front wing that's near to the nose, is the vector direction of the multi-element generated 'overall resultant force', to figure out what share is downforce (which will again depend on the front wheels' kingpin axis) and what share is drag.

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SilviuAgo
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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venkyhere wrote:
31 Oct 2025, 14:17
SilviuAgo wrote:
31 Oct 2025, 08:08
A close comparison between the McLaren MCL39 and the Red Bull RB21 front-end designs, courtesy of formula1.pitstops

Very useful picture.
To my eye, looks as if only the McL39's 1st element is downwash-y, but the RB21's 1st & 2nd elements are downwash-y. The 3rd element of the RB21 is huge (even if we take into account the scale difference b/w the pics) compared to the 3rd of the McL39. That the RB21 can get 'attached flow' on their large-chorded 3rd element's low pressure side, despite the downwash from the 1st+2nd elements, is very impressive.
What we are not seeing in this image is how larger the chord of the wing elements are, in lateral direction, in case of the RB21 (esp the 4th one) w.r.t McL39 ; and hence offer more DF and have more drag penalty (we anyway know that towards the lateral ends, all wings make the flow outwash-y).
What I am unable to conjecture, specifically in the portion of the front wing that's near to the nose, is the vector direction of the multi-element generated 'overall resultant force', to figure out what share is downforce (which will again depend on the front wheels' kingpin axis) and what share is drag.
Also this was my first attention point when I saw the two pictures side by side. Same rules but two different vision. I wonder how was MCL39 with some additional updates, like RBR brought? Was related to the floor/floor edges, different FW...? But will never have an answer for this.

vorticism
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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I think the explanation for their cooling outlet size is simple attention to detail. Look into the cannon of the other cars and what do you notice? Only partial ducting. What I was getting at back in May:

vorticism wrote:
14 May 2025, 19:33
...
most sophisticated internal aero
...
It is evident in some photos that the MCL39 has the most developed internal ducting; that’s the secret there, which is to say, nothing really to do with the radiators themselves nor the power unit or the coolant, all of which are so regulated anyway that I can't expect them to be performance differentiators on their own.
Seems like a no-brainer for a technical director. Low hanging fruit. But there it is.

Blackout wrote:
25 Oct 2025, 14:01
I wonder how the hot air of the gearbox radiator that sits at the rear-end of the centerline cooling is vented, since it seems to be 'completely' shrouded in the Mcl...
It's incorporated into that centerline radiator stack.

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AR3-GP
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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vorticism wrote:
01 Nov 2025, 18:28
I think the explanation for their cooling outlet size is simple attention to detail. Look into the cannon of the other cars and what do you notice? Only partial ducting. What I was getting at back in May:

vorticism wrote:
14 May 2025, 19:33
...
most sophisticated internal aero
...
It is evident in some photos that the MCL39 has the most developed internal ducting; that’s the secret there, which is to say, nothing really to do with the radiators themselves nor the power unit or the coolant, all of which are so regulated anyway that I can't expect them to be performance differentiators on their own.
Seems like a no-brainer for a technical director. Low hanging fruit. But there it is.
I would agree that what we are seeing is that Mclaren's internal cooling passages have much fewer flow losses. Therefore they don't require as much airflow.
Beware of T-Rex

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SilviuAgo
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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McLaren MCL39 gearbox, according to formula1.pitstops:



And a close comparison between the rear suspension arms of the McLaren MCL39 and the Ferrari SF-25 reveals two very different aerodynamic philosophies.
McLaren goes for a sleek, flowing design that channels airflow cleanly toward the diffuser, enhancing stability in high-speed corners.
Ferrari, meanwhile, uses a more compact and enclosed shape to boost downforce and traction under acceleration.


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De Wet
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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Where is the customary Rear Wing comparison this weekend ?

Farnborough
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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SilviuAgo wrote:
03 Nov 2025, 14:44
McLaren MCL39 gearbox, according to formula1.pitstops:



And a close comparison between the rear suspension arms of the McLaren MCL39 and the Ferrari SF-25 reveals two very different aerodynamic philosophies.
McLaren goes for a sleek, flowing design that channels airflow cleanly toward the diffuser, enhancing stability in high-speed corners.
Ferrari, meanwhile, uses a more compact and enclosed shape to boost downforce and traction under acceleration.

Interesting that in the first image, the carbon "bridge" that passes over from top rear link in one side, to the same on other, looks to be broken and with jagged edge (that displayed in the circle) the assembly possibly being stripped after crash damage. The resolution a little difficult to get though in precisely describing that part.

The comparison of brake duct with Ferrari, suggests that the McL has three separated exit ducts in that assembly vs two on SF25. It can't be seen in complete view as it passes behind the wing side support structure, it could be open and we just see the corner of structure without enough detail.

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SilviuAgo
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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De Wet wrote:
08 Nov 2025, 10:21
Where is the customary Rear Wing comparison this weekend ?
Image

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SilviuAgo
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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Comparison of rear suspensions between McLaren, Mercedes, RedBull and Ferrari.



Image

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SilviuAgo
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Re: McLaren MCL39

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Detail of the front wing of the McLaren MCL39 (source @caviimages)

Image