McLaren to introduce new radical nose in Barcelona

The centrepiece of McLaren's 'B' car for Barcelona and beyond is a radical new nose. That is the claim of Germany's Auto Motor und Sport, although Fernando Alonso warned that the significant upgrade is not a "magical solution".

"Barcelona is an opportunity to try some new things, see where we are and the direction we will take for the rest of the season," the Spaniard said.

Correspondent Michael Schmidt said the 2018 McLaren's wings, bargeboards, floor and sidepods will be all-new in Barcelona.

"The most striking detail will be the new nose," said the journalist.  "The crash test was passed on April 11. Rumour has it that the design is pretty spectacular.  It's quite possible that McLaren says goodbye to the stub nose, perhaps doing something similar to Force India and Mercedes."

A McLaren source revealed: "There were two working groups over the winter. One was tasked with a basic test car for the Renault engine, while the other worked on the actual aerodynamic concept.  That had to be held off until the new nose was ready. The nose and front wing determine what happens further back on the car."

Officially, McLaren is playing down its expectations for the 'B' car. "It's part of a season-long plan to develop the car, as we always do until the final race," said boss Eric Boullier.