However, it stood out for a unique suspension layout not seen on any Formula One car for nearly ten years, and was noted for its lack of porpoising and good mechanical reliability.

The car made its début at the 2022 Bahrain Grand Prix, and was driven by Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris in their second and fourth years for the team, respectively.

Ricciardo's continued underperformance compared to Norris was also considered a significant contributing factor in McLaren's loss to Alpine in a season-long fight for fourth place in the World Constructors' Championship.

Norris termed it "not as nice" to drive, but was hesitant to draw conclusions before the physical car was complete given the rapid progress in 2022 designs.

[12] The floor featured an L-shaped edge wing and a ridged underfloor which was eventually emulated by other teams, most notably on the Ferrari F1-75.

The change was inspired after the MCL35M's one-off Gulf livery, featuring similar shades, received a very positive fan reaction.

[22] After the first round of testing, the car was generally expected to be competitive and enable McLaren to join a group of front-running teams.

No upgrades were made to the car at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, as parts were delayed to prioritise the front brake cooling solution.

The team introduced an aerodynamic upgrade to the area around the rear brakes for the Australian Grand Prix, to improve the wake produced by the tyres and diffuser.

[39] Norris made his way back up to third by the end of the first lap, but was overtaken by Leclerc and ran in fourth for most of the race, managing his gap to fifth place comfortably.

[40] In the closing laps, Leclerc bounced over a curb and had a mild collision with the barriers, allowing Norris to inherit third place.

[42] The car's front suspension was strengthened for reliability and an additional floor stay was added to minimise porpoising in upgrades introduced at the Miami Grand Prix.

McLaren introduced a total of ten upgrades for the Spanish Grand Prix, which consisted of changes to various aerodynamic parts, brakes, and suspension.

For the Canadian Grand Prix, McLaren updated the rear wing assembly for aerodynamic efficiency and changed the location of the floor stay for better stiffness.

[58] Ricciardo exited twelfth and Norris eighteenth, and they finished eleventh and fifteenth respectively after both cars suffered brake issues in the final stages of the race.

[60] McLaren announced ahead of the British Grand Prix that the MCL36 would not receive further major upgrades due to the budget cap.

The car featured revised brake ducts and rear wing endplates beginning with the Austrian Grand Prix.

Throughout the turbo-hybrid era, teams pursued a narrow sidepod that exposed as much of the floor as possible, but the 2022 regulation changes limited this design concept's potential due to the primacy of the ground effect.

The new MCL36 sidepods were similar to those featured on the title-challengers, the Ferrari F1-75 and Red Bull Racing RB18, with an emphasis on managing tyre wake and the introduction of a downwashing plane that delivers air to the rear of the car.

[73] Beginning with the Hungarian Grand Prix, the MCL36 featured revised front brake cooling system and new underfloor flow conditioners designed to better engage the diffuser.

[77] The overall aim of the package was to improve aerodynamic efficiency and maximise straight-line speed to take advantage of the low downforce requirements of Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

[78] Norris qualified tenth, but was relegated to seventeenth on the grid due as the team exceeded the number of allowable power unit components.

[84] The clutch map on Norris's MCL36 failed at the race start, forcing him to launch the car manually and costing him several positions on the first lap.

[96] McLaren added several track-specific features to the MCL36 at the Mexico City Grand Prix, namely an extensive cooling package and extra winglets on the rear brake ducts to improve downforce.

[99] However, Ricciardo was one of few drivers who used a medium to soft tyre strategy, and the additional pace this provided allowed him to finish seventh, even after his penalty was applied.

[100][101] Norris fell ill before the São Paulo Grand Prix, prompting McLaren to prepare Nyck de Vries as a replacement.

This was largely credited to the car's effectiveness in heating the Pirelli tyres to their operating window, tempered by its difficulty to preserve them over longer distances.

[122] The MCL36 was run in private tests at Circuit Paul Ricard by McLaren in February 2024, driven by Piastri and 2024 reserve driver Ryō Hirakawa.

[125] In September, it was run at the Red Bull Ring in a private test for Gabriel Bortoleto, a McLaren development driver competing in Formula 2.

[127] Hirakawa and former AlphaTauri driver Nyck de Vries tested the car at Circuit Paul Ricard in November.