TECH ANALYSIS: How McLaren's MCL39 has benefitted from an 'aggressive' evolution approach

While visually similar to last year’s car, the new McLaren MCL39 has benefitted from what Team Principal Andrea Stella describes as an ‘aggressive’ approach to its evolution.

“We have raised the bar in many areas,” he claims, “including its fundamental layout, in order to give our aerodynamic department volumes to work with.”

FIRST LOOK: McLaren's new MCL39 car hits the track for the first time ahead of 2025 season

Typically, this will focus upon the geometry of the chassis monocoque to create space around the sidepods beneath the radiator inlets and at the coke bottle section at the back.

Creating space around those areas inevitably means re-assessing the cooling layout and it appears as if both the radiator inlet and the air box design are substantially different, suggesting there has been a further move towards siting more radiator area upwards and back.

The suspension – pullrod at the front and pushrod at the rear, which is the same as before – appears to feature enhanced anti-dive at the front and anti-squat at the rear. It suggests an aerodynamic platform working within even tighter parameters of ride height.

GALLERY: McLaren's 2025 car makes track debut during filming day at Silverstone

“There has been some work also on the interaction with the tyres,” adds Stella.

The car which did the filming day at Silverstone is, says Stella, “substantially the same” as will run in the Bahrain tests.

“I’m pleased to say that it appears we have maintained the rate of development we’ve had in the last two years,” concludes Stella.

READ MORE: From fastest lap to increased rookie running – 7 rule changes you need to know for the 2025 F1 season

“This car appears to be on a linear trend with the other upgrades since 2023.”