Here’s a look at the low-downforce rear-wing from McLaren, plus all the other upgrades teams have brought for the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix.
The Woking-based team has endured a difficult European-leg of the season, so far. Caught in no man’s land, McLaren have suffered a sharp lack of pace in the MCL40 compared to its championship triumphs in the last couple of years.
That said, the duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri would be optimistic coming into the race weekend at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit with the team’s light yet targeted upgrade package for the Belgian GP.
McLaren are set to become the final Mercedes customer team to fit the German marque’s upgraded power unit, first debuted at Austria.
The brand-new spec Mercedes PU is expected to heighten reliability, something that McLaren have lacked on the engine side of things in 2026, so far.
Additionally, the team has revealed it will sport a completely new, low-downforce-spec rear-wing assembly, targeted at achieving drag reduction across the 7.004 km-long circuit.
Despite taking a 10-place grid drop for the race on Sunday, Norris is confident that the new power unit and rear-wing will give McLaren “a small straight-line speed advantage”.
This will be crucial to the team’s weekend, given the inherent characteristics of Spa, especially in Sectors 1 and 3, and the power-sensitive nature of the event.
Mercedes have also elected to revert to a low-downforce-spec rear wing for the weekend. The Brackley-based squad, however, have only adjusted the camber on the upper wing element of the W17’s rear-wing, rather than bringing a completely revamped wing assembly to Spa.
The German marque has also tweaked the geometry on the lower-end of its rear aerodynamic profile with re-positioned rear drum winglets to improve flow and load efficiency.
Additionally, the W17 will also feature a reworked front-wing endplate with an increase to the top edge camber expected to improve air flow towards the rear of the car.
Elsewhere in the top-four, Red Bull have scrapped the ‘Macarena’ rear-wing, after back-to-back incidents for Max Verstappen at Austria and Silverstone, to revert back to its pre-Miami rear-wing concept but with revised pylon profiles “to extract more load and at least maintain flow stability.”
Ferrari has not brought any upgrades to Spa, this weekend.
Racing Bulls and Audi look to capitalise on midfield momentum with upgrades for F1 Belgian GP
With the Belgian GP marking the penultimate race before the summer break, what appeared to be a clear pecking order has started to transform the midfield of F1’s latest era.
Alpine had emerged as the clear leaders with P5 locked in. However, recently the Enstone-based team has started to rapidly concede ground to Racing Bulls.
Single-lap pace has been the Anglo-French marque’s Achilles’ Heel – with its race pace nowhere near enough to claw back substantial ground and points.
At Spa, Alpine are set to sport a redesigned halo on the A526 with a view to improve aerodynamic load towards the rear of its package.
But this might not be enough for the duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto to stop Racing Bulls from converting its one point deficit to take P5 away from Alpine.
The Faenza-based team has brought a suite of upgrades for the Belgian GP weekend, including a reworked rear-wing, brake drum assembly and roll hoop.
Additionally, its car will feature re-profiled sidepods and bodywork to improve its air flow around the sides of car.
Naturally, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad will be hoping to make it three-consecutive double points finishes for Racing Bulls this season, at Spa, on Sunday.
Further down the order, Haas hopes to recover from its recent lack of form with a reworked front-wing and end-plate geometry. The VF-26 will also feature circuit-specific tweaks to its front deflector and beam-wing geometry.
Williams have also made circuit-specific tweaks to the FW48 with a trimmed floor body and reworked distribution ratio to the diffuser expansion volume across the floor. Additionally, the Grove-based team will also introduce a revised brake duct to decrease load on the rear corner of its package.
Elsewhere in the midfield, Audi have started to make their climb up, closer towards the front of the midfield.
The German marque had brought its first substantial upgrade package of the year to the Austrian GP, and have brought further incremental upgrades to Spa, after a stellar P8 finish for Gabriel Bortoleto at Silverstone, two weeks ago.
The team has opted to bolt a circuit-specific rear-wing assembly on its car for this weekend alongside a “minor refinement” to its diffuser “as part of [its] ongoing aerodynamic development programme.”
Cadillac’s quest for its maiden F1 World Championship point continues at Spa, with the General-Motors-backed project set to introduce further refinements to its Austrian GP upgrade package.
The team has opted to fit a revised halo, sporting winglets, on its car for the weekend, aimed at increasing aerodynamic load towards the rear of its package.
Aston Martin is the second team, after Ferrari, who will not bring any upgrades to the Belgian GP.
READ MORE – Max Verstappen makes statement with top spot in FP1 at Spa
Discussion about this post