Azerbaijan GP: all official updates with Ferrari concerned about brakes
The FIA has released technical and summary documents detailing all the updates brought by the teams to Azerbaijan for the seventeenth round of the 2025 Formula 1 season.
Given Baku’s unique characteristics, teams have chosen different paths to maximize efficiency. Ferrari focused on brake cooling, showing concern based on previous races where drivers had to perform intense lift-and-coast procedures. The team expanded airflow at the front to withstand the circuit’s prolonged heavy braking. Red Bull worked on the rear corner, reshaping the inner wing to generate more local downforce while maintaining overall flow stability. Mercedes adjusted the front wing by reducing flap chord to improve aerodynamic balance in combination with a low-downforce rear wing. Racing Bulls updated brake ducts on both axles to enhance cooling capacity.
McLaren Formula 1 Team
No updates.
Ferrari
Ferrari introduced a targeted front corner modification aimed at improving brake thermal management. Baku’s long straights followed by heavy braking put enormous stress on the brakes. To address this, the front brake duct exit has been enlarged to increase airflow and maintain more stable temperatures. This track-specific upgrade is designed to preserve performance while reducing overheating risk, which in the past forced the team to use lift-and-coast procedures.
| Component | Reason | Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Corner | Track-specific cooling requirement | Enlarged front brake duct exit | Increased the exit area of the front brake duct to handle the high stress and specific thermal requirements of Baku’s street circuit. |
Red Bull
Red Bull made a modification to the rear corner, focusing on the inner wing assembly to increase local downforce by revising the profiles. This allows a higher camber angle, improving grip and load transfer without compromising overall aerodynamic stability.
| Component | Reason | Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Wing | Performance – local downforce | Shortened front flaps | Reduced the chord of the 3rd and 4th elements to adjust front downforce for low-drag requirements at Baku. |
| Rear Corner | Performance – local downforce | Reprofiled inner wing assembly | Light revision using modular components to increase camber and generate additional local downforce while maintaining flow stability. |
Mercedes
Mercedes focused on the front wing to adapt the car’s balance to Baku’s layout, which features long straights requiring low-downforce setups. The modification reduces the front flap chord, decreasing local downforce and maintaining overall car balance when paired with a low-downforce rear wing. This aims to improve aerodynamic efficiency while keeping corner stability.
| Component | Reason | Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Wing | Performance – local downforce | Reduced front flap chord | Shortening the flap chord lowers local downforce, achieving proper overall car balance with a low-downforce rear wing configuration. |
Aston Martin
No updates.
Alpine
No updates.
Haas
No updates.
Racing Bulls
Racing Bulls updated both front and rear corners, focusing on brake temperature management. At Baku, the combination of long straights and heavy braking puts extreme stress on the braking system. The geometry of both front and rear brake ducts has been revised to improve airflow and cooling.
| Component | Reason | Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Corner | Track-specific cooling requirement | Updated front brake duct geometry | Modified front brake ducts to increase airflow and meet Baku’s specific thermal demands. |
| Rear Corner | Track-specific cooling requirement | Updated rear brake duct geometry | Rear brake ducts revised to improve cooling and manage temperatures under Baku’s extreme braking conditions. |
Williams
No updates.
Stake F1
No updates.
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