Mercedes unveil upgrades, have Aston Martin copied Red Bull?

All F1 teams bar Haas have introduced new upgrades for the Spanish Grand Prix. Here’s what every team has introduced for this weekend’s race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Connor McDonagh

20 May 2022

Aston Martin F1 Team AMR22 floor detail.

New for the 2022 season, all 10 F1 teams have to declare any new upgrades they introduce ahead of Friday practice for each grand prix weekend.

A mandatory car presentation takes place in the pit lane on Friday with all teams required to present their cars and explain any new parts they have brought to the event.

Mercedes have introduced a new floor, while McLaren, Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo have the biggest upgrade packages for Barcelona.

Will Ferrari move ahead of Red Bull at F1 Spanish GP?

After their latest defeats at the Emilia Romagna and Miami grands prix, Ferrari have responded to Red Bull’s improved turn of performance with a handful of upgrades.

Red Bull have continued to focus on reducing the weight of the RB18 but have also brought a new front wing and floor body.

Ferrari have a new floor and rear wing as they look to move ahead of Red Bull again in the F1 pecking order.

The Scuderia were the team to beat in pre-season testing back in February at the Spanish venue but with the cars changing significantly since then, will they be able to return to the top?

Ferrari’s last win in Barcelona came in 2013, courtesy of Fernando Alonso, however, Red Bull have won more recently with Verstappen taking his maiden victory in 2016 after both Mercedes drivers crashed on the opening lap.

In terms of the rest of the F1 grid, only Haas haven’t got any new parts for this weekend so it could be an intriguing midfield scrap.

Here is a full rundown of what each team has brought to the Spanish Grand Prix

Mercedes

In a bid to turn their season around, Mercedes have a new front wing endplate to improve the airflow to the rear of the W13. The most notable change is an adjustment to the floor edge in a bid to improve performance when running closer to the ground.

They also have a new rear corner and floor body, all designed in hope of unlocking more performance.

Red Bull

Red Bull have introduced a new front wing which has been designed specifically for Barcelona’s high-speed nature, while they also have a new floor body. According to reports in the Dutch media, Red Bull have shaved off 5kg in terms of weight which will find them even more lap time.

Ferrari

The Italian team have a new updated floor and diffuser, combined with a revised rear corner and rear wing. Ferrari hope to improve the entire aerodynamic performance of their 2022 challenger with these upgrades.

McLaren

McLaren have a significant upgrade package for this weekend with the FIA noting 10 updated components for the Spanish GP. McLaren’s alterations vary from circuit-specific changes through the introduction of a new front wing, front suspension, cooling louvres and rear wing.

On a wider performance note, McLaren have a revised front corner to improve brake cooling efficiency, floor body and engine cover in a bid to increase overall downforce. They have also removed the cockpit strake to improve visibility.

Alpine

Alpine have a new rear wing designed to give both drivers more downforce as both Barcelona and Monaco are high downforce circuits. The French outfit have introduced a new front wing endplate to generate more downforce at the front of the car.

AlphaTauri

AlphaTauri only have a revised rear wing for Barcelona in a bid to generate more downforce which is more optimum for the circuit’s characteristics.

Aston Martin

Dubbed the ‘green Red Bull’, Aston Martin have eight new components for this weekend. The Silverstone-based outfit have made sizeable changes to the floor area of their car with alterations to the floor body, floor fences and floor edge to help run the car at a ‘consistent ride height range’ and thus improve overall lap time with the downforce operating as it should.

Aston Martin have also made changes to the sidepod inlet to improve their cooling, while they have a new engine cover and cooling louvres. Finally, they have made modifications to the halo and rear wing.

Williams

Williams will have a new front and rear wing to generate more downforce, to combat the levels of downforce required in Barcelona.

Alfa Romeo

Like Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo have eight new components for this weekend. The new parts include: A new front wing, new front suspension, revised engine cover, an updated floor body, cooling louvres, a new rear suspension and rear wing.