Ferrari revises its floor, six teams upgrade their single-seaters

Six teams present technical updates at the eleventh round of the season at the Red Bull Ring. Ferrari arrives with one of the most striking sets, a completely redesigned floor. McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, Racing Bulls, and Sauber also reveal various developments for a race that serves as a home Grand Prix for Red Bull.

Ferrari bets on a complete overhaul of its floor

The Scuderia stands out for the extent of its package. On the SF-25, four key areas of the floor are involved: the front partitions, the central body, the edge, and the diffuser.

The partitions located at the front have been redesigned, with a new profile distribution and adjusted curvature, with the aim of generating increased vorticity downstream. This development goes hand in hand with a modification of the boat’s shape and an enlargement of the tunnel to optimize their interaction with the new partitions.

The front edge is now shorter, with a retouched camber, while the diffuser benefits from a complete redistribution of volumes. Ferrari states that this set aims to increase the downforce across the entire operating spectrum of the car.

Despite the ambition of this update, Lewis Hamilton remains cautious: « We don’t really know what the concrete impact will be yet. This isn’t the usual information we are given about the increase in downforce. » However, the Briton hopes for a boost in competitiveness for a team that has secured only three podiums in ten races.

McLaren adjusts its suspensions

Leader of the constructors’ championship, McLaren takes a different approach, focusing on the suspension elements and the corners of the car. At the front, the suspension fairings have been revised to improve the overall airflow, resulting in an aerodynamic gain.

This change required an adaptation of the aerodynamic elements located around the front corner to fully take advantage of the new flow conditions. At the rear, the team is introducing an alternative suspension geometry, which also involves aerodynamic adjustments to maintain clearances and overall performance.

This development extends the initiative started in Canada, where only Lando Norris had the new configuration, with Oscar Piastri remaining with the previous version.

Red Bull proceeds with localized refinement

The Austrian team, competing on its home turf, opts for a targeted evolution of its floor. This includes a new edge, revised surfaces, and an opening located upstream of the rear tire. The goal is to stabilize the flow in this sensitive area while increasing the generated load.

Without being as visible as Ferrari’s development, this update is in line with Red Bull’s philosophy of extracting maximum performance from every detail of their RB21.

Mercedes adapts its single-seater to local requirements

On the Brackley side, two developments specific to the Austrian track have been introduced. The altitude of the circuit presents particular cooling challenges, to which Mercedes responds with tailor-made solutions.

The front brake ducts are widened both at the entrance and the exit to better manage the high thermal demands of this circuit. The engine hood, meanwhile, receives a larger opening at the rear, designed to improve airflow at the level of the radiators located in the pontoons.

Racing Bulls and Sauber: Targeted Aerodynamic Developments

Racing Bulls worked on their wings. At the front, a new flap profile allows better flow conditioning in several aerodynamic scenarios. At the rear, the profiles have been adjusted to meet the downforce and efficiency requirements specific to the Red Bull Ring.

At Sauber, the engineers have focused their efforts on the midsection of the floor, with tweaks to the outer edge and the diffuser. These changes aim to refine the airflow under the car, from front to back, to optimize downforce.

The Swiss team also introduces a new rear wing designed for high-downforce circuits. This version is characterized by a revised geometry and a more efficient load distribution, designed to adapt to the upcoming races on the calendar.

A dynamic influenced by 2026

These developments come as Formula 1 approaches the midpoint of its season, with several teams beginning to direct their resources towards the 2026 regulations. In fact, the absence of new developments in other teams may either reflect satisfaction with current performances or an increased focus on future projects.

Ferrari, for its part, justifies its investment by the need to salvage a season that has been disappointing so far, seeing the team relegated to third place in the constructors’ championship with a 191-point deficit to McLaren.

New engine parts for several drivers

Furthermore, several drivers are taking advantage of the Austrian Grand Prix to introduce new engine components. Pierre Gasly for Alpine and Esteban Ocon at Haas are using their third internal combustion engine of the season, along with the associated turbochargers and energy recovery units.

Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli switch to their second control electronics, a component limited to two units per season. This precise management of quotas underscores the strategic importance of each change.

Lando Norris is on his second exhaust system, while Gasly and Ocon have reached their third, out of a total of eight allowed.