F1 team updates | New floor for Mercedes, Aston Martin draws attention

F1 News

20 May 2022 at 09:32
Last update 20 May 2022 at 11:11
  • GPblog.com

Formula 1 has touched down in Barcelona. Because the teams already collect the necessary data at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in the preseason, the Spanish Grand Prix is often used to introduce major updates. So too this weekend: most teams have brought updates, but those of Aston Martin are the most notable.

Few updates for Red Bull

Red Bull Racing already brought a significant update package to Imola. That proved successful, as Max Verstappen won the sprint race, the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix and the subsequent Miami Grand Prix.

Something that is still being worked on is reducing the weight, to which the team had taken another step in the run-up to Miami. Also in Barcelona, the RB18 should be a few kilos lighter again, but after the updates in Imola and Miami, it will probably remain at that and the Austrian racing stable will not take a bulky package to Barcelona.

Ferrari with update to floor

Ferrari has waited out the first five races of the season before deploying updates, but that will change in Barcelona. The Scuderia had already announced the updates and covered the first meters with them during a secret test at the Monza circuit. What exactly has changed on the F1-75?

As the team itself said, one of the priorities for now is to solve porpoising. As such, the F1-75 has been fitted with a new floor, which Ferrari hopes will reduce discomfort for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Something else Ferrari has been working on is weight. The F1-75 was not among the heavyweights, but it was still above the minimum weight of 798 kilograms. How much the team is still above that is not known, but like other teams, the Italian racing team is trying to save weight with the paint, among other things.

Mercedes also brings new floor

After five races it is still priority number one for Mercedes: solving porpoising, which the W13 still struggles with. Like Ferrari, Mercedes organised a secret filming day, where George Russell tried out the planned updates at the Paul Ricard circuit.

Photos show that the floor of the W13 has been updated. A wing has been added to the sides of the floor and with that the shape of the floor itself has also changed. It now rises more gradually than before. A winglet has also been placed at the bottom of the nose, meant to better guide the airflow.

Like most other Formula 1 teams, Mercedes is still struggling with an overweight car. Toto Wolff already indicated that no more savings can be made on the paint, and that does not seem to be the focus of these updates either.

Aston Martin comes with the most striking updates

Around the Miami Grand Prix, there was already talk of the possibility that Aston Martin would come up with a completely different car in Spain. The team certainly lived up to those expectations, yet the major updates to the AMR22 have something familiar. Where have we seen them before?

Indeed, at Red Bull Racing. On Thursday, there was already a big fuss about the AMR22B, which has already been renamed by many as the 'green Red Bull'. Reminiscent of the 'pink Mercedes' of the former Racing Point, history seems to be more or less repeating itself.

The biggest updates are in the floor and side pods, which seem to have been copied almost one-to-one from Adrian Newey's design. The scene caused quite a few sharp reactions from followers worldwide.

McLaren and Alfa Romeo also bring major updates

McLaren has brought a comprehensive package including a new front suspension and modified floor and brake ducts. Where the team from Woking used to have titanium hoods around the brakes, they are now replaced by ones made of carbon.

Alfa Romeo has brought a new front and rear wing, as well as a new front and rear suspension. Adjustments have also been made to the floor.

Haas the only F1 team that brings nothing new

Alpine and Williams only brought minor updates to the front and rear wings, AlphaTauri brought a new rear wing. Haas is the only team to bring nothing new to Barcelona.