# McLaren's F1 Upgrade Surprise in Brazil

> McLaren's F1 upgrade delivers a pleasant surprise but may not stay on car in Brazil race.
- Title: McLaren's F1 Upgrade Surprise in Brazil · Motorsport
- Summary: McLaren's F1 upgrade delivers a pleasant surprise but may not stay on car in Brazil race.
- Keywords: mclaren, sao paulo gp, lando norris, kimi antonelli, mcl40, front wing, aerodynamic upgrades, Motorsport
- Source: Motorsport — https://motorsport.com/f1/news/mclarens-upgrade-is-a-pleasant-surprise-but-will-it-stay-on-the-car-in-brazil/10872338
- Author: Stuart Codling
- Published: 2026-11-06T21:49:40+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mclaren, f1, sao paulo gp, lando norris, kimi antonelli, mcl40, front wing, aerodynamic upgrades, sports, cars
## Practice Session Results
Lando Norris topped first practice at Sao Paulo, edging Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli by 0.082s.

> Certainly FP1 was a little bit of a surprise, a pleasant surprise.
## Car Performance Feedback
McLaren's upgrades smoothed MCL40's rough edges but drivers reported inconsistent lap times.

> FP2, I think we seemed to struggle a little bit more compared to the Mercedes, just two tenths off on every lap.
## Aerodynamic Upgrades
New front wing with reprofiled planes and middle-plane mounting improved car predictability.

> Redesigned front wing is the most noticeable element of the new upgrades.
## Driver Challenges
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri faced car consistency issues during recent races.

> Piastri, as team principal Andrea Stella has repeatedly emphasised, is a driver who thrives on building through a weekend.
## Team Strategy
McLaren tested upgrades in phases before final decision for Brazil GP.

> We'll make the final decision tonight, but all the data so far looks good.
## Performance Expectations
Upgrades aim to improve lap time and handling but may not stay on car for Brazil race.

> I think the upgrades look like they're delivering as we expected, which is all you can ask for.
## Final Decision
McLaren will confirm if all upgrades stay on car for Brazil GP after FP2 data review.

> We'll do our due diligence, check all the data from FP2 as well.
## Key takeaway

McLaren's F1 upgrade improves lap time and handling but may not stay on car for Brazil GP.