This Is Why The McLaren Senna GTR Has Such A Massive Rear Wing

The McLaren Senna GTR is a track-tuned monster that generates a massive 2,200 lbs (1,000 kg) of downforce.

Just how was such a monumental downforce figure achieved? Well, as this video from the British car manufacturer reveals, a towering rear wing is one of the key reasons. In the video, McLaren Principal Designer Esteban Palazzo says that he and his team were tasked with making a track-only version of the Senna with 2,200 pounds of downforce.

Achieving that figure meant a series of aggressive new aerodynamic parts would need to be designed and developed.

Watch Also: Bruno Senna Pushes The McLaren Senna GTR To Its Limits

While there are a host of aero modifications that help stick the Senna GTR to the pavement unlike any other road-car based McLaren before it, including a new front splitter and canards, it is the rear wing that really distinguishes the car from the road-going Senna.

The wing is made entirely from carbon fiber, a material chosen not only for its lightness but also for the fact that complex shapes can be created from it. In the Senna GTR, the wing doesn’t only feature a set of towering swan neck uprights; it also has exterior uprights that are coupled to the diffuser.

McLaren didn’t simply slap on this massive wing and call it a day. While the Senna GTR is focused on performance through corners, it still needs to be fast in a straight-line so the wing has to be capable of slicing through the air without causing too much drag. With this in mind, it features LMP1-style endplates for stability as well as a Drag Reduction System (DRS) like the ‘regular’ Senna.