McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl has eliminated the possibility of testing exploratory parts for 2020 on their current car, likely keeping the team's focus on conceptual changes for next year.
McLaren is currently sitting 4th in championship standings this year, the team's highest in hybrid era. It comes after the team's strong performances over the season, including three 5th-place finishes with the most recent being at Suzuka with Carlos Sainz.
The team also made several on and off-track changes since last year, including an all-new driver lineup and hiring Seidl as team principal.
But albeit the suitable option for the team according to it's rivals is to develop an early evolution of 2020 car, Seidl downplayed such suggestions.
“I wouldn’t call it radical,” he replied when asked about any big changes to next year's design.
"With the gap we’re having to the top cars, under the same regulations, we try to make a big – or a decent – step, which means that some of the concept stuff of the car we will change.
“There is stuff you can carryover to next year but it’s not like we develop our stuff for next year’s car and then bring it [in 2019].”
When asked from technical director James Key about the challenges in splitting the development areas across the current-regulation car and 2021 regulations, he said:
"It's a transition period, but I don't think it's one of those periods where there is a clear cut way.
"Sometimes you say we're done for this year, either because it's gone badly, or you're doing okay, or you're in no man's land and not under threat.
"I think for us, the positive direction appears to be the case for the team this year.
"It kind of makes sense to continue that learning a little bit longer, but focusing on next year at the same time."
McLaren also recently announced their shift from Renault to Mercedes engines for 2021, leaving the French manufacturer without a customer.
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