Street circuits are bold places to debut extensive upgrades, but a significant number of teams have decided to bring new parts to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Williams opted for the Aston Martin strategy of waiting for a single round to introduce their upgrades, but Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon were cautious of predicting any significant difference due to the pre-existing deficit to their competitors.
Comfortably sitting as both the Drivers' and Teams' Championship leaders, Mercedes haven't submitted any upgrades this weekend. Similarly, Ferrari are seeking to maximise their current package in Baku. McLaren are the first of the frontrunners to introduce a wide range of upgrades, with several focusing on flow conditioning. These include a revised sidepod inlet shape, engine cover and coke line, an alternative sidepod, and a modification to the rear suspension fairings to enhance aerodynamic performance. These changes to the bodywork go hand-in-hand with a new floor edge design and diffuser layout, while the rear wing has also been adjusted to deploy the flap to a different position in Straight Mode, thereby causing a larger reduction in drag. Lastly, the cooling louvre layout and position have been altered for maximum aerodynamic performance at various cooling levels – this is a track-specific upgrade for the Baku City Circuit.
Red Bull have made subtle changes to the floor geometry and revised the sidepod, with the aim of extracting more local load whilst maintaining flow stability. To blend the new sidepod into the existing bodywork, they’ve also adjusted the cooling louvres. Accompanying the floor and sidepod, the mirror assembly and halo have been altered to support the downstream conditioning and supplement the local load increase. Like their sister team, Racing Bulls have focused on flow conditioning through a new front wing and brake duct. These will work alongside changes to the front suspension to manage the air flow downstream and around the car, allowing the floor to perform effectively.
No updates have been submitted by Alpine in Baku. Haas introduced key aero upgrades two rounds ago in Italy, so haven't brought any further alterations this weekend. With the midfield battle heating up, Audi have made sweeping changes to their challenger in the hope of closing the gap to their rivals. A completely new front wing and nose should deliver a better flow to the rest of the car, complemented by revised front suspension fairings. In addition, an updated floor and bodywork will contribute to the overall package, with the former producing a consistent load increase while the latter will improve management of the downstream flow structures. The rear wing and rear suspension have also been adjusted to improve aerodynamic performance, forming part of the total 14 upgraded parts Audi have brought to Baku.
Williams introduced an updated floor bodywork assembly to extract more performance both locally and across the main underfloor surfaces, with the tail geometry also revised to work with the new floor. Reprofiled surfaces have been applied to the front brake duct flow conditioning devices, while a number of adjustments have been made to the rear. To suit the new onset flow, the surfaces on the rear suspension have been realigned to offer additional performance in the rear corner. These geometry changes unlocked a new flow field opportunity in the rear corner, enabling Williams to extract additional performance in this region by retuning the rear brake duct.
No upgrades have been listed for Aston Martin this weekend. There are a few upgrades for Cadillac, beginning with an updated brake cooling inlet and exit duct profiles, which should increase the available brake cooling capacity whilst maintaining flow quality to the rear of the car. To remain compatible with these changes to the front corner, they've also revised the front suspension fairing surfaces. Finally, the diffuser has been adjusted to increase local aerodynamic load.
