McLaren delighted with the comprehensive upgrade package at Zandvoort

Having introduced a major upgrade package at Zandvoort, McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri sounded a positive note after the opening day at the Dutch Grand Prix.

The Woking-based outfit debuted its first major upgrade package at Miami, but it has only brought a few minor upgrades since the American round

However, McLaren turned up at Zandvoort with a comprehensive set of upgrades in the Netherlands.

The upgrade package includes a redesigned front brake scoop from which the team hopes "improved flow conditions and increased aerodynamic load without compromising brake cooling." To complement this change, the front suspension has also been modified.

Furthermore, McLaren has also altered the rear suspension shape to enhance flow conditioning around the rear corner, diffuser, and beam wing area.

Additionally, the British outfit has brought a completely revised rear wing and beam wing to suit the specific demands of the Zandvoort circuit, increasing overall wing efficiency.

Having finished the first and second practice in P1 and P4 respectively, Lando Norris sounded a positive note, claiming that the MCL38 has been strong both in low- and high-fuel configuration.

“A pleasing first day back on track. We made some good progress, and the car is in a strong position ahead of quali tomorrow.

"It’s close towards the front of the pack, so we’ll be working hard overnight as a team to get everything out of our package.”

His team-mate Oscar Piastri echoed Norris' words, stating that he had enjoyed a positive first day at Zandvoort.

“It’s been a good Friday. The pace looks pretty solid over one lap and the long run pace looks decent so far.

"It’s nice to be back in the car and it’s always fun driving around here. It’s been a good first day.”

McLarend team boss Andrea Stella has revealed that his outfit has focused on the evaluation of the heavily-modified aerodynamic package.

“Zandvoort today allowed us to test the car in all conditions, going from the wet to the intermediate to the dry tyres in FP1, and then in FP2 we had good running on the soft and medium tyres to compare them with a view to their potential usage in the race.

"It’s been a very useful day, not only for race preparation but also for gathering good data and performing checks on the aerodynamic upgrades we have this weekend.

"We’ll now focus on maximising our performance for the rest of the weekend. We know the weather is a variable, so we need to ready for anything – but day one in the Netherlands seems very encouraging.”