McLaren to remove F-duct for Monza

The Woking-based team was the pioneer of the F-duct at the start of this year, and the design has proved such a success that all its main rivals have copied the idea. Renault will be the latest to introduce it at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.

The F-duct helps provides a straightline speed boost by allowing the drivers to stall the rear wing on the straights - and teams can use it for a simple top-speed advantage or to help them run more downforce in the corners without suffering a drag penalty on the straights.

Although Monza has the highest top speeds of the season - so would in theory be perfect for a straightline advantage - the fact the track requires such a low wing set-up actually makes the F-duct redundant because there is not enough drag for it to get rid of.

McLaren's decision to remove its F-duct for the Italian Grand Prix is likely to become standard practice, with all teams instead set to focus on a low-downforce aerodynamic package better suited to the Monza layout.

All teams had been expected to remove the F-duct at the Monaco Grand Prix earlier this year, but McLaren elected to keep it on its car then - saying at the time that there was no alternative.

"F-duct is something which will work better on the long straight than a circuit like this," McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said in Monaco. "It is a standard part of our car. We don't have a non F-duct variety to fit in any case."