Formula 1 had a Tuesday marked by important technical movements for the resumption of the season. Mercedes is preparing a major update for the Dutch GP, while Red Bull has defined a plan to continue developing the RB22 and try to win again still in 2026.
Read more F1: Norris says he has changed his driving style «every year of my life»
At Red Bull, Pierre Waché stated that development will continue until the end of the championship. The car struggled in the first half of the year with a narrow operating window, balance problems, excess weight, reliability failures, and even a steering defect. After 11 rounds, the team has not yet won, but the technical director assured that the pursuit of victories with Max Verstappen or Isack Hadjar remains the priority.
Mercedes is also preparing to attack right after the holidays. F1MANIA.NET published this Tuesday that the team is working on a major update for Zandvoort, the round that opens the second half of the championship between August 21 and 23. The team arrives in the Netherlands leading both World Championships, with Kimi Antonelli at the top among the drivers.
The FIA, in turn, has already started to change the technical rules for 2027. The changes will mainly affect the floor and the rear wing, as well as limit aerodynamic solutions explored by the teams in 2026. Among the adjustments are changes in the front area of the floor, reduction of vortex-generating elements, and a smaller rear wing, while the FTM system will also be banned.
Read more F1: Honda denies rumor of 50 hp extra in Aston Martin engine
At McLaren, Andrea Stella avoided treating Lando Norris’s victory in Hungary as a definitive turning point. The executive acknowledged that the updates worked as planned but highlighted that the main teams have also been evolving quickly and considers that the amount of developments available in the second half of the year will have an important weight in the competition.
Gabriel Bortoleto was also among the highlights of the day by defending the use of artificial intelligence in Formula 1. The Brazilian appeared in the news amid discussions about how new technologies can be part of the category’s evolution.
Other relevant topics this Tuesday involved Honda, which denied the rumor of a 50 hp gain with its engine update for Aston Martin, and Charles Leclerc, described by a former Ferrari engineer as “a little lost” facing Lewis Hamilton’s phase. Antonelli also spoke about turning the pressure of racing as the main Italian name on the grid into a strength in the championship fight.
Read more F1: Antonelli wants to turn Italian pressure into strength
