McLaren and Lando Norris secured both the constructors and drivers championships respectively, with a car that for the most part was the cream of the crop.
McLaren, as you’d expect, had shifted their focus onto next year’s challenger fairly early on but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t any development for the MCL39 either.
Magnificent McLaren
A look at the wedge-shaped bib on the MCL39 before it’s attached to the sprung mechanism that’s mounted to the underside of the chassis. Note the temperature stickers affixed to the bib so the team can keep an eye on the changes in temperature invoked as the plank attached beneath collides with the track surface.
A top-down overview of the McLaren MCL39 in order that we can appreciate the whole design concept of this car.
A rear view of the rear wing that McLaren took to Las Vegas but opted not to race, which has a significant chunk of the upper flaps trailing edge removed.
A wider angle view of the rear brake duct assembly, with the pipework associated with cooling the rear caliper having been installed.
A close up of the notched rear brake duct winglet’s end fence and the sidewall of the diffuser.
A close up of the different rear brake disc fairings employed by McLaren, with the solid variant inset, whilst the windowed version in the main image has a different material layered within to help manage temperature transfer.
Another look at the baffle atop of the saddle cooler, whilst a mechanic makes some adjustments to the inboard suspension elements.
The powerunit, ancillary and rear end assembly detached from the car gives us a clear idea of how tightly packaged everything is with these cars. Notably McLaren have a baffle arrangement on the rear face of the saddle cooler, in order to help manage flow out the back of the engine cover when it’s installed.
A more traditional view of the rear wing, with the contracted spoon-shaped mainplane design on show, along with the more squared-off mainplane and endplate transition used for this level of downforce.
A side view of the MCL39’s rear wing shows the shape of the mainplane’s leading edge and how the semi-detached tip section allows for an enlarged cutout in the upper rear corner of the endplate.
A look at the twin-prong vane mounted beside the halo’s rear leg and the aerodynamic fairing that surrounds the safety structure.
As it’s being prepared we’re treated to a fantastic view of the McLaren MCL39’s rear end, including the crash structure, rear suspension and exhaust pass through rear wing pillar mount.
McLaren pushed the design of their front wing flap tips further still when they introduced what they labeled as ‘mermaid tails’ at the Canadian Grand Prix, deposing the curved arrangement previously being employed.
An unusual view of the ‘mermaid tail’ layout that McLaren introduced for their front wing at the Canadian Grand Prix and began racing at the Austrian Grand Prix.
McLaren made changes to the aerodynamic fairings that enveloped the MCL39’s front suspension at the Austrian Grand Prix (old layout, inset).
In this shot, without all of the pipework and fairings in place, we’re able to see the brake caliper’s design.
A close up of the internal pipework and fairings that surround the brake components at the front of the MCL39.
McLaren introduced but opted not to race lower downforce front and rear wing assemblies at the Las Vegas Grand Prix (inset).
The MCL39 with flo-viz applied at the rear this time, as the team looked to study flow over the rear suspension, beam wing and rear wing.
A McLaren mechanic takes a close-up picture of the flo-viz so it can be studied more intently back at the factory.
The MCL39 with green flo-viz painted around the front wing, suspension and chassis as the team look to capture visual confirmation of how the airflow is performing and if it matches their simulations.
McLaren made changes to their floor assembly at the British Grand Prix, with the edge wing always the most visible reference for change, given we don’t get shots of the floors underside very often.The swept section of the edge wing was increased in length, with the pitch of that section also altered to incorporate four vanes, rather than two.
Four brackets were also installed in the tail section of the edge wing too, as the team looked to help secure it to the floor more effectively.
A nice side-on view of the floor and chassis interface, showing the bulge that infringes on the floor’s leading edge, whilst also interacting with the shape of the suspension leg beside it and therefore the flow coming off it.
A close up of the edge wing on the MCL39, which features an upswept, albeit flatter design many of their rivals, forward section, complete with four inversely swept vanes used to help control the airflow’s pressure and trajectory.
McLaren made some modifications to their diffuser at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with the central boat tail section clearly flattened out (arrow), when compared with the recessed variant used before and made possible by the crash structure and starter hole design employed (insets).
McLaren’s mechanics prepare the MCL39 before an event, with the outer brake duct drums removed we’re able to see the pipework and fairings used to control how heat is exchanged within.
A look at the bare MCL39 chassis as the marshals complete extraction practice.
Same region, just this time the bodywork has been installed that will influence the airflow around the bib, including the bib wing sat midway up.
Another, closer, look at the bib region on the MCL39, this time with the bib attached to the spring mechanism, which has a Belleville arrangement.
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust.
Read next: F1 uncovered: Revealing the inner workings of the Mercedes W16
