Did McLaren reveal design secrets with 2022 F1 car teaser photos?
McLaren is the first Formula 1 team to give us a glimpse of its 2022 challenger, posting a picture of the MCL36’s chassis on its Instagram account, along with a few other teaser shots.

Of course, the angle that it has been photographed from means we can't learn a great deal from what's on show, but there are a few design clues worth noting about its first contender built to the new rules set.
The most obvious of these is that while the general design of the roll hoop and airbox carries over from last season, with the two angled spars retained in the centre of the assembly, the perimeter shaping has been narrowed slightly at the top.
We can also see the shape and position of the sidepods and their inlet beside the chassis, which appear to have been exchanged for a more conventional low-mounted position.
The decision for this design change has largely been driven by the regulation changes, with the dimensional criteria of the bodywork and moreover the position of the SIPS (Side Impact Protection Spars) now required to be higher than in the last few seasons.

Ferrari SF70H side detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
This means that the high inlet position, that was introduced in 2017 by Ferrari and every challenger featured last season, is much more difficult to achieve and likely becomes less effective given the change in flow structure emanating from the front of the car in any case.
Notably in the foreground we can see that the chassis not only slopes down but also appears to taper inwards too, much like the chassis' predecessor, which suggests that the team will look to carryover a slimline nose design like it has had for the last few years – albeit adjusted to meet the new regulatory constraints regarding the nose tips height and interaction with the front wing elements.

McLaren MCL35M front detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
It's also worth mentioning that there's some suggestion that we'll see teams employ pullrod suspension at the front of the car again in 2022, owing to several factors. These include the change in suspension geometry, given that the upright extensions used over the last few seasons have been outlawed, which will have a bearing on the position of the suspension arms and as a consequence the airflows' trajectory towards the sidepod inlet – which will likely be mounted lower.
There's also a small benefit in terms of CoG (Centre of Gravity) to consider with a pullrod layout, with more of the weight housed at a lower point in the chassis. The loads that the suspension will undergo will be altered by the introduction of the 18-inch wheel rims and lower-profile tyres.
McLaren used a pullrod front suspension in 2013 on its MP4/28, having aped a design that Ferrari employed a year earlier on the F2012.
While Ferrari continued to employ the design up until 2015, McLaren considered the adventure over and reverted to a pushrod layout in 2014. It'll be interesting to see if either team ventures down this route once more.

Mercedes W12 bracket detail, banned in 2022
Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Ferrari F2012 pull rod front suspension vs Red Bull RB8 push rod front suspension
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Related video

Ferrari: Budget cap constraints will mean fewer updates in F1 2022
Ocon learned "quite a lot" from Alonso in first season as F1 teammates

Latest news
How Driver’s Eye camera became a Formula 1 TV gamechanger
Formula 1 broadcasting has undergone many major advancements in the past decade in a push to better inform fans and enrich their viewing experience.
Hazelwood reflects on maiden Gen3 test
Todd Hazelwood has walked away from a highly-scrutinised first team Gen3 test excited by the latest generation of Supercars hardware.
What’s going on with Nissan and Kiyoto Fujinami?
Nissan may have made no changes to its GT500 driver roster for the 2023 SUPER GT season, but still caused a surprise by making no mention of two-time GT300 champion Kiyoto Fujinami in its recent announcement.
First Gen3 Supercar hits the track
The first Gen3 Supercar outside of the prototypes has officially turned its first laps at Winton Motor Raceway.
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Nico Hulkenberg: Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing.
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? Luke Smith asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.