Belgian GP: McLaren's technical novelties

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McLaren continued its desperate search for speed at Spa after enduring a tough start to the new era of technical regulations. It was looking as the back marker inside the Mercedes-powered camp, but it managed to surpass Force India and close the gap to the field-leading Mercedes.

The team introduced a new rear wing with a main profile of reduced surface. This wing lost its sawtooth leading edge though the rear flap stayed. The sawtooth edge helped to reduce drag as it contributed to air detaching from wing surface. It also helped to reattach air after DRS deactivation which meant better braking stability.

The Woking based squad also debuted a modified diffuser which was inspired by Mercedes. A new channel was added to the center line of diffuser, channel which has been used by Mercedes since the start of the year.