F1 | Inside McLaren’s secrets: tyre strategy, hidden brakes, and a cooling breakthrough. McLaren dominates F1 with seven wins in nine races, but many mysteries remain.

McLaren’s dominance in F1 is now an established reality, yet something still eludes their rivals: tyres, brakes, cooling, and other mysteries.

McLaren reigns in F1, but many secrets remain hidden: from tyres to brakes, passing through the innovative cooling system. The engineers in Woking continue to build on the solid foundation laid in 2023, now benefiting from a project at the height of its technical maturity. At mid-season, the rivals are still far from understanding what the real “trick” of the MCL39 is — if there is only one.

Seven wins in nine Grands Prix, six pole positions, and currently leading both championships: McLaren is on the right trajectory to secure both world titles. It’s a dominant yet “hidden” performance: the time gaps appear smaller, far more contained than what Red Bull built in 2023. But the margin over direct rivals matters little, given how easily Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris manage the races.

The Woking duo benefits from masterful tyre preservation, both on Sundays and Saturdays. The MCL39 is the only car on the grid capable of making the most of the soft tyres throughout an entire qualifying lap. All others, including Max Verstappen, are forced to compromise either the first or final sector. But tyres are only one of the many “mysteries” of this car.

Brakes, tyres, cooling: the McLaren puzzle
Analyzing the MCL39’s strengths is difficult. It’s a car that is quick under all conditions, does everything very well, but doesn’t show clearly defined performance peaks. After Barcelona, our correspondent identified one of its (many) winning features. But the puzzle is complex, and Michael Schmidt of Auto Motor und Sport has tried to pinpoint the most important pieces.

Eliminating the flexible wing variable — which evidently hasn’t dented Woking’s advantage — many “small” clues remain. McLaren has shown competitiveness across a wide range of ride heights, a point where Ferrari, for example, still struggles. Credit goes to Rob Marshall and Peter Prodromou, who identified and achieved a highly effective level of downforce, with its peak right under the driver’s seat.

This configuration would be the reason for requiring a cockpit cooling system. More generally, the MCL39 has optimized temperature management throughout the car: “The entire car radiates less heat, also benefiting the tyres,” writes the German outlet. The price to pay is greater drag and, consequently, lower top speed.

MCL39: three unresolved mysteries
Beyond the general functioning of the car, there are still a few particularly intriguing questions. The first, and most visible, concerns the behaviour of the mechanics, who are always careful to block the view of the car during work, especially around the brakes. There is also no certainty regarding the possible use of PCM materials to further aid thermal management.

Then there’s the issue of the program run during Free Practice 3: the two drivers usually push to the limit in the third practice session, when, according to AMuS, “it would make little sense.” Finally, the mystery of the rear tyres on the starting grid. McLaren is always the last team to fit the rear tyres, just before the start. A complex and still unsolved puzzle.