Formula 1 arrives at the Hungarian GP with an intense development battle between the teams. In the last race before the August break, Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren, and Aston Martin introduced important updates to their cars, with a highlight on the extensive package introduced by Aston Martin.
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Technical documents released by the FIA show that all front-running teams opted to bring new features to Budapest. The changes focus on performance and could directly influence the competition before the championship break.
McLaren brought five changes for this weekend, four focused on performance and one specific to the demands of the Hungarian circuit. Among the new features are a revision of the rear wing endplate, a new floor, updates to components of the car’s front and rear extremities, and a larger outlet for brake cooling.
Meanwhile, Red Bull introduced three modifications, including the return of the so-called ‘Macarena’ wing. The team provided this description: ‘By exploring the permitted geometry of the rear wing supports, the curvature of the pillars has been increased to extract a little more load and maintain, or even improve, flow stability.’ The car also received revisions to the diffuser and flap geometry.
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Mercedes, in turn, introduced three new features. The car gained an additional element on the rear wing centerline, a wider rear bodywork outlet, and the integration of the rear winglet into the wing support.
At Ferrari, the changes focused on the rear region. The team reported adopting ‘a new flap design with additional trailing edge devices, a redesign of the inner upper part of the endplate, and new pillars.’ Additionally, an optional cascade of winglets will be available.
The team that attracted the most attention was Aston Martin. As promised, the team brought its first major update package for the AMR26, developed under the leadership of Adrian Newey. The changes cover the front wing, nose, floor, diffuser, sidepod inlets, engine cover, rear suspension, rear wing, beam wing, and various other components, all focused on performance gains starting from the Hungarian GP.
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