Published 10:55 15 Jul 2026 GMT+1

McLaren make 'significant' announcement ahead of Belgian Grand Prix

McLaren will benefit from this change as there are five Straight Mode zones at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Thomas Griffin

The Belgian Grand Prix takes centre stage at Spa this weekend, and excitement is building after McLaren made a 'significant' announcement.

After winning back-to-back Constructors' Championships in 2025, with Lando Norris taking home his first Drivers' Championship, McLaren have since suffered a downturn in results.

While they are third in the Constructors' Championship and need a miracle to challenge Mercedes at the top, Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri are also fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Drivers' Championship.

In their last outing at the British Grand Prix, Norris finished in fourth position, but they were left scratching their head over their straight-line speed weakness.

That is particularly significant ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, as the FIA confirmed there are five Straight Mode zones installed at Spa, the most since the opening round of the season in Australia.

However, De Telegraaf journalist Erik van Haren confirmed that McLaren will be using Mercedes' latest engine in Belgium, which was already introduced in Austria.

Having opted against taking Mercedes' latest power unit offering at either the Red Bull Ring or Silverstone, Norris and Piastri will benefit from this as sectors one and three heavily rely on straight-line performance and top speed.

Van Haren also reaffirmed that McLaren will announce a 'significant upgrade package' for next week's Hungarian Grand Prix, with McLaren's technical director of applied engineering, Neil Houldey, outlining their plans to preserve energy on the longest track in F1.

McLaren's technical director discusses MCL40 changes

Houldey confirms they will "test and evaluate" a new rear wing during the Friday practice sessions. The team previously brought its version of the 'Macarena' wing to the Red Bull Ring, but elected against running the component in a session.

"We're arriving at Spa with a new rear wing assembly, an upgrade we've had in the pipeline as part of the car’s development pathway," he said.

"We're confident that this update will add a bit of performance to our car, but we are fully aware that after a difficult British Grand Prix, mainly in terms of pure performance, even this round won’t be that easy, so we won’t be expecting any big change in terms of competitiveness.

“The Belgian Grand Prix is going to be incredibly challenging from an energy management perspective; it's one of the most energy-starved tracks on the calendar. We anticipate seeing a significant amount of super clip, which will test both the car and the drivers."

McLaren clearly have plans to combat the car's energy problems, and the team will expect an improved performance at Spa after largely struggling during 2026.