McLaren has brought a swathe of upgrades for the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix while the rear-wings of Mercedes and Red Bull are turning heads in the paddock.
The race weekend at the Principality has kicked off the European leg of the 2026 campaign.
Mercedes have been the runaway leaders, winning all the five races run so far, but the Woking-based team has been catching them up in terms of out-and-out performance.
Last time out in Canada, McLaren scored a double-podium finish. At Monaco, this weekend, the 2025 Constructors’ champions have brought a suite of upgrades on the MCL40 to capitalise on this momentum.
McLaren has arrived for the Monaco GP weekend with six revised parts – the most of any team on the grid.
These upgrades include a larger engine cover to adapt to the cooling requirements of the street circuit and a modified front suspension to allow comfortable steering lock to tackle the iconic Loews Hairpin.
The MCL40 will also sport a revised diffuser, with the team claiming it to “maintain aerodynamic performance throughout the speed range.”
A lot of work has also been put on the rear-end of McLaren’s 2026 challenger with a reworked beam wing, winglets and rear suspension furniture aimed at optimising its aerodynamic performance on the twisty and narrow streets of the Principality.
Mercedes and Red Bull bring eye-catching rear-wing innovations for F1 Monaco GP
The 2026 technical regulations, for all intents and purposes, is still a work-in-progress.
The FIA has been consistently adopting tweaks to accommodate the safety concerns cropping up on the different tracks on the calendar so far.
For Monaco, Straight Mode (SM) will be disabled throughout the weekend. Both Mercedes and Red Bull have brought clever and “attractive” innovations to counteract this loss of performance and address the high downforce demands of the circuit, in one go.
The rear-wings will remain in a stationary position, and with the removal of the SM actuators, the duo have been able to accommodate extra winglets around the activation pods.
This will allow both, Mercedes and Red Bull to add a solid chunk of rear downforce without having to worry about the loss of SM operability.
While the German marque has only focused on its rear-wing, the Milton-Keynes-based outfit has also brought three additional updates to its front suspension, front brake ducts and engine cover to promote cooling and pliability throughout the cornering phases.
Rounding off the top-four, Ferrari will sport a revised front suspension to accommodate the tight turning demands of Monaco. Further, the diffuser and floor of the SF-26 will also debut minor additions to improve overall aerodynamic efficiency.
Midfield innovations to watch out for at Monaco
Alpine currently assume the position of being ‘best of the rest’, extending its stronghold on P5 with a double-points finish at Montreal, two weeks ago.
For Monaco, the Anglo-French marque has been conservative with its upgrades, bringing only a revised rear-wing with additional winglets.
“As part of our ongoing in-season rear wing development programme, flap winglets are introduced at this event to further enhance aerodynamic performance,” the team disclosed to the FIA.
Racing Bulls and Haas are locked in for the battle for sixth in the Constructors’. The Faenza-based team is set to sport a modified front suspension in line with the cornering demands of the tight Monaco corners.
The team will also run a revised rear-wing, accommodating a new flap and winglet on the SM activation pod. Haas on the other hand has a bevy of updates on both, the front and rear-end of the VF-26.
In line with its rivals, the team has also brought front suspension and rear-wing changes to deal with “the specific steering angle demands imposed by the characteristics of [Monaco],” and the removal of SM.
The team has also implemented the addition of an “aerodynamic device” on its exhaust tailpipe which would help generate downforce on the rear-end of its car this weekend.
Williams has continued its incremental work on its exhaust design, and will bring a revised tailpipe for “additional loading opportunities” at the rear of the FW48.
This would make the Grove-based team the fourth on the grid, alongside Cadillac and Aston Martin, to bring a revised exhaust – a trend seemingly reserved specifically for the midfielders at Monaco. Cadillac, though, has also decided to implement modified rear-wing endplates for aerodynamic gains.
Audi, on the other hand, has merely removed the SM actuators on its front and rear-wings without any additions as seen with other teams. The team will also sport a revised roll-hoop and mirror design.
Lastly, Aston Martin will also sport revised cooling louvres and a new front-suspension on the AMR26 in line with the circuit specific demands factored in by the majority of other teams on the grid.
That said, with FP1 and FP2 concluded, Ferrari currently has the front-row locked-out with home-boy Charles Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton alternating at the top of the time sheets, respectively during the two sessions, before we head into Qualifying, on Saturday.
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Originally published by motorsportweek.com —
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