McLaren fishing for performance with ‘mermaid tails’ in uncovered Canada update

Matthew Somerfield 14 Jun 2025 10:00 AM

McLaren continues to pile the pressure on their rivals as they’ve arrived at the Canadian Grand Prix with a handful of new components for the MCL39 designed to extract even further performance.

The updates include a new front wing, front suspension modifications and new fairings, whilst a new medium downforce rear wing solution has been added to their already well stocked arsenal. And yes, we’ll be explaining those “mermaid tails” everyone has been talking about.

McLaren pile on the pressure with Canadian Grand Prix update

The new front wing from McLaren comes after the introduction of the tougher load and deflection tests introduced by the FIA last time out in Barcelona, with the team only making small visible alterations in order to come inline with those new restrictions in Spain.

And, given the changes made in Spain were only to the support brackets and flap adjuster, the team didn’t even announce any changes in the car presentation document ahead of the event.

However, whilst the design of the wing looked identical to those used during the opening phase of the season. that’s not to say that structurally there weren’t changes made, with teams adept at designing and manufacturing the elements with the requisite flex.

Teams do not have to declare every change in car presentations documents — particularly those that are visibly minor.

More McLaren updates in 2025:

👉 McLaren changes uncovered as teams prepare for tougher F1 wing checks

👉 Explaining F1’s phantom updates and why McLaren do have a new front wing after all

In Canada, though, we have a different story.

This weekend, changes made to the front wing include a revised shape for the two upper flaps. This is not only linked to the level of downforce being applied this weekend, but it is also likely due to a redistribution of the span’s effectiveness given the alterations that have been made to the outboard section of the wing.

The flap tips that had previously been rolled over in this region (inset) in order to influence the airflow and help generate outwash have been straightened, and a tranche of winglets — described as ‘mermaid tails’ by McLaren in the car presentation document — have been added to further enhance the wing’s outwash ability.

This modification is also likely in response to the reduction in flexibility of the wings since the load and deflection tests were made more robust, as this would have also had some effect on the generation of outwash.

The new front suspension is a two-fold investment from the team, too. They’ve not only modified the fairings to cater for the revisions made to the front wing; they have also made some minor geometry tweaks, as the team look to improve the car’s handling characteristics.

At the tail of the car, it’s another rear wing entering the usable pool for the team, as they continue to follow the trend they started last season, whereby they have a large array of options at their disposal in order they can make more subtle downforce decisions at each race.

The new design continues the trend of having a pronounced V-shaped central section, allowing for a more unloaded outer section.

McLaren