McLaren unveils the MCL39 in Silverstone

McLaren has taken a bold approach with its 2025 Formula 1 car, implementing substantial changes to its championship-winning design despite the looming 2026 regulation changes.

Team Principal Andrea Stella revealed the extent of the modifications during the team's rain-soaked filming day at Silverstone, where the MCL39 made its first appearance in a temporary camouflage livery.

Radical evolution from championship winner

The Woking-based squad has opted for an aggressive development path, making significant alterations to the car that secured them their first constructors' title since 1998.

The most visible changes appear from the sidepods backward, marking a departure from their successful 2024 design philosophy.

"What we tried to achieve with this new car is innovative,"

Stella explained at the Silverstone launch event.

"It's a car in which we tried to raise the bar in many areas, including the fundamental layout."

This ambitious approach comes despite the MCL38's proven competitiveness throughout the previous season.

Technical innovations driven by tight competition

The decision to pursue substantial changes stems from the incredibly close competition witnessed throughout 2024.

McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari regularly traded positions at the front of the field, with Mercedes also showing race-winning pace at various circuits.

With such fine margins determining success, McLaren felt compelled to push the boundaries of development.

The team's technical focus has centered on improving aerodynamic efficiency while enhancing tire management for better long-run performance.

Stella emphasized that virtually every fundamental component has undergone optimization, with some areas seeing incremental improvements while others received substantial revisions.

Aggressive approach despite 2026 preparations

Despite teams being permitted to fully develop their 2026 cars since January 1st, McLaren has maintained its aggressive development pace for the current season.

The team plans to introduce further updates during the early races, maintaining their usual development trajectory regardless of the impending regulation changes.

"We are very aware that last season, even if it had been a successful season, the margins we had mean that we had to be aggressive with the car to try and cash in as much performance as possible,"

Stella stated. He highlighted the razor-thin margins in modern Formula 1, where the difference between pole position and eighth place can be minimal.

The MCL39 shown at Silverstone is expected to closely represent the specification that will appear at the upcoming Bahrain pre-season test, demonstrating McLaren's commitment to hitting the ground running in their title defense.