McLaren MP4-27 - sidepods 21 February 2012
For 2012 McLaren have radically changed the shape of their sidepods. The unique L-shaped design of last year's MP4-26, which split the airflow (see blue arrows), has gone. In its place is a horizontal, square shaped solution (see main drawing), reminiscent of that introduced by the team at Silverstone in 2008, which sees the air channelled past the sidepod towards the rear of the car (blue arrow). The sidepods are also very high off the ground, with a much wider, more dramatic undercut, an arrangement similar to the double floor solution seen on Toro Rosso's 2011 car.
