Ferrari have chosen to prioritise cooling the SF-26 at the 2026 Formula 1 British Grand Prix after a disappointing outing at the Red Bull Ring, last weekend.
Lewis Hamilton wasn’t able to replicate his Catalonian exploits as the seven-time World Champion’s three-race podium streak ended with a fifth-placed finish at the Red Bull Ring, last weekend.
His team-mate Leclerc also suffered for straight-line speed despite having an upgraded Ferrari power unit in the back of his, eventually finishing eighth.
Throughout the 71-lap race, both the Ferraris struggled with overheating issues, something the team has focused on fixing, at Silverstone, this weekend.
The Maranello-based squad has brought a consolidated upgrade package to the SF-26 for the British GP.
Focusing on the rear corner, Ferrari will sport a bigger inlets and outlets towards the rear end of the car. Further, the team has taken this opportunity to also reprofile its rear corner with a view to “maximizing aerodynamic efficiency.”
At the time of writing, this seems to have worked wonders for the iconic Italian marque with Hamilton securing a sensational Sprint pole ahead of Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen.
McLaren, on the other hand, have focused on the front-end of the MCL40 for Silverstone. The Woking-based team will sport a revised front brake duct to improve its flow conditioning and overall aerodynamic efficiency.
Additionally, the MCL40 will also feature a reworked floor board to optimise air flow across the car.
Elsewhere in the top 4, Red Bull have also brought tweaks to the RB22 in a bid to build on its Austrian GP package that propelled Verstappen to take P2, last weekend.
The Milton-Keynes-based team has brought a modified front-wing for Silverstone, which has already helped Verstappen secure a second-row start for the Sprint race, on Saturday.
Championship leaders Mercedes, however, have brought no upgrades for the weekend.
Has the midfield developmental battle stagnated at the F1 British GP?
Upgrades have been sparse for the midfield at Silverstone, this weekend.
The likes of Cadillac and Aston Martin have carried forward their Austrian GP package in the race weekend. Unsurprisingly, both teams did not find a way out of SQ1, on Friday.
Audi, and Alpine, who currently lead the midfield in P5, have also opted out of bringing any upgrades to Silverstone.
Racing Bulls, however, have continued their bid to dethrone the Enstone-based team, with a revised floor edge, diffuser and rear corner elements. These upgrades are aimed at improving the overall aerodynamic efficiency of its package.
So far, it seems to have worked out, with both, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad slated to start from within the top-10 for the Sprint race, on Saturday.
After a disappointing Austrian GP, Williams have brought an updated front-wing for Silverstone. Both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz were able to make it out of SQ2.
Lastly, Haas has opted to focus on the rear-end of the VF-26 with a revised rear wing, sporting reworked profiles and endplates, aimed at aerodynamic load towards the back of its car.
Unfortunately for the Banbury-based squad, they were also knocked out of SQ1 alongside the likes of Cadillac and Aston Martin.
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