McLaren's upgrades for the 2026 Sao Paulo Grand Prix received encouraging initial feedback after practice on November 6. Lando Norris was fastest in FP1 and second in FP2, but the more useful question was whether the parts worked as intended. He felt the car had gained some performance and was slightly more straightforward, although its difficult handling characteristics remained.
In his Friday interview, Norris distinguished two types of upgrade: changes to balance and handling, and changes primarily intended to improve performance and lap time. This package focused on downforce and grip. He felt the car was somewhat more straightforward that day, but still difficult to drive. Increasing potential lap time performance and changing handling are related, but distinct, objectives.
McLaren's practice report described changes to the front wing, rear wing and small floor components. Norris ran the new rear wing in FP1, while Leonardo Fornaroli, substituting for Oscar Piastri, retained the previous specification. The team also compared front-wing configurations. Those comparisons offer a more useful basis for judging the updates than the final positions alone.
Piastri returned for FP2 and finished fifth in his only session of the day, while Norris also switched to the updated floor. A slow puncture on Piastri's hard tyres influenced the longer runs: he subsequently used softs while Norris continued testing hards. Their long-run data therefore came from different tyre conditions, rather than providing a direct measure of a performance difference between the drivers or cars.
Norris felt McLaren reached a competitive level relatively easily in FP1, but found Mercedes harder to match in FP2. Piastri was also positive about the new parts while acknowledging that work remained to catch the cars ahead. Their assessments pointed to an incremental improvement, rather than an established change in the competitive order.
INKA SPORTS Analysis and Conclusion: Separating performance gains from handling changes
Friday moved McLaren from expectations to practical comparison testing. The next task is to optimise the setup around the new components. Converting that gain into a qualifying result will still depend on tyre preparation and execution; Norris's reservations also show why improved lap time potential and difficult handling should be assessed separately.
