Oscar Piastri confirms McLaren to test trick rear wing in Austria as Formula 1 tech war intensifies

The reigning Constructors' champions continue to chase Mercedes and Ferrari under Formula 1's new regulations, with Technical Director of Applied Engineering Neil Houldey confirming the latest package forms part of the team's long term development programme.

"For this event, we've focused on minor detail updates around the car's rear corners, as well as an experimental rear wing that will run throughout Friday's sessions," Houldey said.

"While the overall package is lighter than some of our recent updates, these developments are all part of our season long development pathway, and we're continuing to look for every lap time opportunity wherever we can."

McLaren arrive at the Red Bull Ring third in the Constructors' Championship, more than 100 points behind leaders Mercedes, with Ferrari having made significant gains after introducing upgrades in Barcelona.

The experimental rear wing comes amid an increasingly intense technical battle as teams search for gains from the active aerodynamic regulations introduced for 2026.

Ferrari first drew attention with their rotating "flip flop" rear wing during pre season testing in Bahrain before racing it in Miami, while Red Bull also introduced an innovative rotating design as the leading teams explore different aerodynamic concepts.

Speaking during Thursday's FIA press conference, Oscar Piastri confirmed McLaren's latest design is strictly for evaluation and will be fitted only to Lando Norris' car during Friday practice: "No, we won't race it. I believe it's on Lando's car tomorrow. It's to test out; it's not ready to race at the moment.

"Obviously we've seen some of the creative solutions [from rival teams], and they don't come without their challenges, clearly. It won't be raced, but useful to try it out," said Piastri.

While McLaren continue developing the MCL40, Piastri is hoping to rebound after a disappointing Spanish Grand Prix, where he qualified seventh and finished fifth after struggling for pace.

The Australian said the team had carried out extensive analysis since Barcelona: "I think on a personal level, yes, I've got a good understanding. We've done a lot of homework as to why the race in Barcelona was such a struggle for me. I think we've got a good idea why, and a good plan on how to not repeat that."

Piastri expects another difficult challenge in Austria, believing Ferrari's recent progress and Mercedes' consistency leave McLaren with work to do despite encouraging performances at the Red Bull Ring in previous seasons.

"I think Ferrari took a good step forward in Barcelona, Mercedes are still the benchmark as well, and I'm hearing along the grapevine Red Bull have got some big things [coming] as well," he said.

"It's not going to be easy for us. Yes, it has been a good track for us in the past, but there's no illusion for us that we're suddenly going to be amazing here and the team to beat, we're definitely not going to be."

"Hopefully we can get close and kind of be in the position that we have been in at certain points, where we can capitalise on dramas for others, but I think to be able to do it on merit or pure pace is going to be a bit of a stretch. I'd like to be happily surprised."

McLaren's latest experiment underlines how quickly development has accelerated in the opening months of Formula 1's new rules era, with teams increasingly prepared to test radical aerodynamic concepts in pursuit of performance gains.
(Additional Reporting by Agnes Carlier at Red Bull Ring)