McLaren have come up with the first real innovation of the year by creating rear suspension wishbones that are very different to what we usually see. It is the normal approach to have a horizontal teardrop design, almost parallel to the reference plane in order to minimize drag created by the suspension elements. McLaren’s version though as just a bit different.
The team’s approach is far away from drag reduction. Instead, the elements are rather big with a cross section similar to a mushroom lying down on its side. Before we see how it works, it needs to be noted that the design has already been cleared as legal by the FIA. This means that the entire shape is structural, as otherwise the thick fairing would be considered as banned moving bodywork as per Article 10.3.4 of the Technical Regulations