The first images of McLaren on track during the Barcelona shakedown reveal a clear resemblance to one of the technical innovations introduced by Ferrari on the SF-26.
Day 3 of the Barcelona testing sessions marked McLaren’s official debut on track, making it the last of the top teams to run. Lando Norris took the wheel of the MCL40, with the number one of the reigning world champion prominently displayed, despite the special livery that will only be used during Montmeló’s shakedown. The British team has confirmed that the official race livery for the 2026 season will only be revealed on February 9, effectively concluding the pre-season unveiling sequence.
A solution reminiscent of Ferrari emerges
Looking at the first images of the MCL40 on track in Barcelona, several innovative technical features immediately caught the attention of keen F1 enthusiasts. Among them is one design element that feels strikingly familiar. The rear section of McLaren’s car, piloted by Lando Norris for the initial laps of the 2026 season, bears a strong resemblance to a design previously seen on another team’s car.
Specifically, the MCL40 features a “sawtooth” fin at the rear, similar to the one that surprised fans following the launch of the Ferrari SF-26. As highlighted in our earlier analysis of Ferrari’s car, this design helps control the vortices generated by the engine cover. The primary goal is to optimize the quality and stability of airflow directed towards the rear of the car and ultimately over the rear wing, improving aerodynamic efficiency and downforce consistency.
It’s likely that we may see similar solutions appear on other cars as well, but fans will have to wait until the Bahrain pre-season tests or even the opening race weekend in Melbourne to confirm. Until then, teams are expected to keep their technical cards close to their chest, carefully hiding innovations that could give them a competitive advantage in the new season.
The appearance of Ferrari’s serrated engine fin on the new McLaren MCL40 underscores the rapid pace of technical cross-pollination in the 2026 era, as the reigning champions look to Maranello’s innovative airflow solutions to solidify their own rear-end stability. While McLaren continues to keep their definitive livery under wraps until February 9th, this early technical “shining of the cards” suggests that the battle for aerodynamic supremacy is already centering on high-precision vortex control. As the grid heads toward Bahrain, the effectiveness of these serrated designs will be one of the key performance indicators to watch.
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