Formula 1 has arrived at the brand-new Madring for round 14 of the F1 2026 season, the Spanish Grand Prix.
Unveiling the car’s new parts ahead of Friday’s FP1, the teams have hinted as to how they are preparing for this unfamiliar venue.
What’s new on the cars in Madrid?
Given that Madrid is a complete unknown for every team, it makes sense not to risk debuting major development packages here.
Teams with significant upgrades prepared will most likely introduce them during the next race weekend in Baku on a familiar circuit layout.
Therefore, while the cars look noticeably different in Madrid, most of the changes feature previously introduced components.
These swaps allow teams to transition away from the low-drag Monza setup to a higher-downforce configuration, an absolute necessity on street circuits.
Rear wings
The primary component teams alter to dial in downforce is the rear wing.
Notable changes compared to the last race can be observed at McLaren, Mercedes, Alpine, and Racing Bulls, all of which have chosen to run earlier high-downforce wing iterations.
For Madrid, Alpine also modified its rear wing flap mechanism, abandoning the drag-reduction variant used in Monza to revert to an earlier specification.
Additionally, Alpine features the return of small central flap elements on the rear wing’s trailing edge.
Ferrari: Return of the three-element floorboard
The team that consistently alters its car specification most from track to track is Ferrari.
The Italian squad ranks first in terms of venue-specific modifications.
The car sees the return of the three-element floorboard introduced in Zandvoort.
At Monza, this component was replaced by the earlier single-vertical-element version used during the first half of the season, again aimed at shedding drag.
Mercedes: The team with the most changes in Madrid
Much like its rivals, Mercedes’ updates are predominantly circuit specific.
Beyond altering its rear wing, Mercedes added another small winglet in the region behind the exhaust, an area that became a major focal point for teams after Ferrari pioneered its solution.
Here, too, the primary objective is maximising downforce.
The sole non-track-specific update concerns a redesign of the front drum assembly adjacent to the front wheel.
As stated in its official Car Presentation document, the goal of this upgrade is to improve airflow management across all steering angles.
The aerodynamic coupling between front and rear flow structures in Formula 1 is critical, meaning even subtle updates can yield measurable gains on track.
How airflow is managed at the front directly dictates the stability and level of downforce generated at the rear of the car.
These technical refinements could help Mercedes maintain its edge in terms of on-track performance. However, given a circuit layout that on paper should play to the strengths of both Ferrari and McLaren, it remains to be seen whether anyone can challenge Mercedes’ position.
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Originally published by Planet F1 —
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