Belgian GP Tech Upgrades: Who Brought What?

Analyzing the technical upgrades team-by-team

🟠 McLaren

McLaren heads to Belgium with a singular update.

Rear Wing: New low-downforce spec built to maintain aero efficiency within a tighter drag range.

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Verdict: This is a drag-level tweak, not a full rear-end package. Expect straight-line speed to improve without hurting overall balance.

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🔴 Ferrari

Ferrari brings a updates to its suspension, corner, and rear wing.

Rear Suspension: Long-awaited geometry revision now fitted. Wishbone fairings and rear corner winglets have been redesigned to improve aero efficiency and grip.
Rear Corner: Local tweaks around the rear brake ducts to sharpen load and improve tire response under traction.
Rear Wing: Reduced chord on the flap element, targeting a more efficient low-drag configuration for Spa.

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Verdict: This is the suspension upgrade the paddock has been waiting for. Ferrari’s weakest point has been rear-end grip. If this change hits, it could transform both race pace and tire wear.

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⚫ Mercedes

Mercedes is focused on specific changes to the front and rear of the car.

Front Wing: Increased chord on the second element near the endplate, reducing the forward element to shift tip vortex generation outboard.
Rear Corner: Drum lip moved inboard to push rear tire wake away from the diffuser area, improving rear-end aero consistency.

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Verdict: Focused, surgical changes. Mercedes are refining flow structures, especially around tire turbulence, which is critical at Spa’s high-speed corners.

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🔵 Red Bull

Red Bull brings a multitude of changes to the car. How will they come together?

Front Wing: Revised camber and incidence on the first two elements, with the third and fourth adapted to remain compliant with aero regulations.
Sidepod Inlet: Dual inlets have been merged and widened to improve cooling efficiency in power unit-critical conditions.
Engine Cover: Reworked to match the new sidepod shape and maintain cooling louvre functionality. Also includes updated rear suspension shrouds.
Front Suspension: Inboard wishbone fairings adjusted to increase flow pressure toward the new sidepod inlet, enhancing cooling potential.
Rear Corner: Lower cascade bodywork has more camber and trailing edge trim to increase rear load and maintain stability.

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Verdict: This is a cooling-first package. Not just about Spa’s long straights, but about ensuring performance margin if temperatures or engine stress rise on Sunday.

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🔷 Racing Bulls

Racing Bulls bring a rear-focused set of updates.

Rear Wing: Reprofiled upper element to reduce drag without upsetting aero balance.
Rear Corner: Winglets on the brake ducts revised to better manage flow conditioning.
Diffuser: Geometry changes target cleaner extraction and better flow stability around the rear.

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Verdict: This is about improving flow through the whole rear structure. The diffuser work in particular could help with traction and tire consistency in the final sector.

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🟩 Aston Martin

Aston Martin brings a number of updates, primarily to the wings.

Front Wing (Spec 1): Reduced flap chord for Spa-specific balance, designed to pair with a lighter rear wing.
Front Wing (Spec 2): Legacy design reintroduced with modifications to fit a new short nose.
Nose: Shortened layout mounts from the second wing element, helping streamline under-nose airflow.
Rear Wing: Less loaded than previous versions. Reduced frontal area to improve drag efficiency.
Beam Wing: Switched to a single element for further drag reduction.

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Verdict: A clean low-drag aero package, but the big story is the new nose. It could give clues to the team’s 2026 direction and improve front-end rotation at high speed.

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🟣 Alpine

For Alpine, the changes are focused on cornering.

Rear Wing: New low-drag design for the top element, aimed at Spa and Monza-style circuits.
Beam Wing: Matches the rear wing to offer full low-drag flexibility.

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Verdict: A stripped-back rear end. Alpine are going slippery and hoping to limit losses in slower corners.

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🟦 Williams

Williams introduces several important updates.

Floor Fences: Reprofiled camber and trailing edge detail added to rebalance how the fences channel air beneath the car.
Floor Edge: More complex curvature added to the floor edge wing and spat. Rear hole reshaped to aid extraction.
Sidepod Inlet: Lower lip repositioned to lower the inboard edge and raise the outboard side. Helps guide air through the new coke line.
Engine Cover: Sidepod undercut deepened by raising the floor belly. The result is better energized airflow into the floor edge and diffuser region.

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Verdict: Quietly one of the most significant packages this weekend. Williams are building confidence in their floor concept. This is their biggest aero shift of the season so far.

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❌ No changes from Haas or Stake

Neither Haas or Stake are bringing new parts. For Haas, they may be preserving budget or shifting focus entirely to 2026 whereas Stake is likely focused entirely on the Audi project on the horizon.

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🔎 What to watch for in Spa

Ferrari’s suspension finally arrives - After weeks of anticipation, this is the one to watch. If it delivers, they’ll gain serious confidence at corner entry and exit.
Red Bull’s cooling strategy - Expect them to run reliably even if Spa delivers unpredictable temperatures.
Aston Martin’s new nose - Subtle geometry changes could unlock a better front-end platform for 2026.
Williams go bold - Their floor and bodywork evolution looks like a step beyond routine trimming. If they find gains, expect them to outperform expectations on race day.

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