Reverted wing restores confidence; Norris P3, Piastri P4 in sprint
McLaren made a last-minute U-turn on its upgrade plans for sprint qualifying at the Canadian Grand Prix, reverting to the previous-spec (Miami) front wing on both cars to keep the package predictable for the sprint format. Technical director Neil Houldey said the new wing "wasn't quite delivering" and that switching back restored driver confidence and unlocked better performance. Lando Norris had tested the new wing in FP1 with Oscar Piastri trying it later in practice, but both drivers had excursions onto the grass under braking that limited the team's early-session data. Norris called the new front wing "a bit more questionable" while still describing the overall upgrade as a step forward, and he warned that the Miami parts might have been track-specific, noting Montreal's low-grip, kerb-heavy layout complicates wind-tunnel validation. Reporting on the call was split: some outlets indicated both drivers ran the new spec intended to improve aerodynamic efficiency and straight-line speed, while others said the team had reverted to the older wing for the sprint.
The wing was one piece of a broader push. McLaren is completing the second phase of a two-part upgrade programme that began in Miami, bringing a multi-part package to Montreal that included a new front wing, a reprofiled engine cover with different cooling exits, a new halo fairing, a revised suspension fairing, new rear wing endplates, and tweaks to the floor-edge wing to add downforce. The updated front-wing design had debuted in Miami but failed to deliver the expected gains during Friday practice. The team framed the delayed introduction as a conservative, data-driven choice to avoid an unproven element mid-weekend, and said some elements of the new wing might be reintroduced next weekend or at Barcelona after further assessment.
On track, the conservative approach left McLaren chasing. George Russell took sprint pole with a 1m12.965s, with Kimi Antonelli 0.068s behind in second. Norris qualified third and Piastri fourth, the two separated by just 0.02s. Andrea Stella said the team remained "three tenths off" pole and acknowledged Mercedes had brought meaningful upgrades of its own, with McLaren planning to evaluate its package across the Montreal weekend to determine whether the Miami momentum was a sustainable step forward rather than a one-off.
