The FIA has published its summary of the technical upgrades declared by Formula 1 teams for the 2026 Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid. Six teams have brought new components to the new Madring circuit, with a total of 10 changes submitted by McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, Alpine and Cadillac.
Compared with Monza, the direction of development has changed significantly. At Madring, teams are focusing primarily on generating local downforce, improving aerodynamic stability and managing airflow, while far fewer modifications are aimed exclusively at reducing aerodynamic drag. The shift reflects the very different demands of Madrid after Formula 1’s extreme low-drag weekend in Italy, with the braking and energy-recovery requirements at Madring placing a greater emphasis on stability and aerodynamic performance.
Mercedes has submitted the most extensive package, with three changes. Two are circuit-specific and affect the rear wing and exhaust area, with the aim of adapting the balance between downforce and drag to Madrid, while the Front Drum has been reprofiled to improve the quality of the airflow travelling towards the rear of the car.
Red Bull has brought two modifications classified under reliability, while continuing the work that began at Monza around the rear-wheel area. Cadillac has also declared two changes, both aimed at increasing rear downforce through revisions to the rear-wing flap and diffuser.
The updates from McLaren, Ferrari and Alpine are more limited in scope. McLaren has modified its rear wing to improve airflow conditioning, Ferrari has reprofiled a rear-suspension fairing to generate a local aerodynamic benefit, while Alpine has added a new element to the front of the floor board to optimise pressure distribution and airflow management.
Williams, Racing Bulls, Aston Martin, Haas and Audi, meanwhile, have declared no updates for the Spanish weekend. The full list of official modifications submitted for the 2026 Madrid Grand Prix is detailed below.
McLaren modifies its rear wing for the Madrid GP
McLaren has introduced one change to the Rear Wing, adding new aerodynamic elements. The modification is intended to improve the conditioning of the airflow travelling towards the main profile and rear-wing flap. It comes as teams reassess their wing concepts for the very different demands of Madring, with McLaren and Ferrari taking contrasting rear-wing approaches in Madrid.
- Component: Rear Wing
- Primary reason: Performance – Flow Conditioning
- Geometric differences: Additional elements on the rear wing.
- Description: Additional elements have been added to the rear wing, improving airflow conditioning towards the main profile and the flap elements.
Mercedes brings the largest Madrid GP upgrade package
Mercedes has submitted the most extensive package among the teams declaring changes in Madrid, with three separate updates. The rear wing and exhaust area have been adapted to the efficiency level required by the new Spanish circuit, while work on the Front Drum focuses on improving the airflow travelling towards the rear of the car across different steering conditions.
Rear Wing
- Component: Rear Wing
- Primary reason: Circuit Specific – Drag Range
- Geometric differences: Reduced span of the central rear-wing winglet.
- Description: Reducing the span of the central winglet mounted above the rear-wing flap locally decreases both downforce and aerodynamic drag, producing a ratio suited to Madrid’s aerodynamic-efficiency requirements.
Exhaust Tailpipe
- Component: Exhaust Tailpipe
- Primary reason: Circuit Specific – Drag Range
- Geometric differences: An additional winglet has been added behind the exhaust.
- Description: A winglet has been added to increase the deflection of the airflow coming from the exhaust, generating downforce and aerodynamic drag at a ratio suited to the requirements of Madrid.
Front Drum
- Component: Front Drum
- Primary reason: Performance – Flow Conditioning
- Geometric differences: Reprofiled leading edge.
- Description: The leading edge has been reprofiled to improve flow attachment in all steering conditions, producing more effective airflow towards the rear of the car.
Red Bull focuses on reliability with two RB22 changes
Red Bull has introduced two modifications that the team has classified as reliability updates. Around the Rear Corner, the work that began at Monza continues with a more robust solution and additional winglets designed to recover aerodynamic load while maintaining the correct sealing of the rear-wheel bodywork.
The Floor Bib, meanwhile, receives a change to the geometric connection between the floor and chassis intended to reduce local stresses. The continuing development illustrates how teams have had to move away from the priorities of Monza and adapt to a circuit where aerodynamic consistency is more important than simply minimising drag.
Rear Corner
- Component: Rear Corner
- Primary reason: Reliability
- Geometric differences: Rear-wheel bodywork assembly.
- Description: Continuing the work carried out at Monza, the new and more robust shroud integrates winglets downstream of the suspension fairings, with the aim of recovering the downforce levels of previous races while maintaining the correct aerodynamic sealing of the wheel bodywork.
Floor Bib
- Component: Floor Bib
- Primary reason: Reliability
- Geometric differences: Geometric modification between the floor and chassis.
- Description: The laminate and geometry have been modified to reduce local deformation when the component is subjected to bending, with the aim of preventing deterioration of the structure and aerodynamic surfaces.
Ferrari brings targeted SF-26 rear-suspension upgrade
Ferrari has declared only one new component for Madrid, concentrating its work on the Rear Suspension. The fairing around the rear leg of the upper wishbone has been reprofiled, altering both its incidence and the lateral distribution of aerodynamic load in an effort to generate a local performance benefit.
It is a relatively small modification rather than a major package, but it fits the wider aerodynamic requirements of Madring. After the exceptional low-drag demands of Monza, the new Madrid circuit should place greater emphasis on downforce and stability, which is one reason Ferrari’s SF-26 could be better suited to Madring. Further analysis of the team’s developments throughout the season is available in the Ferrari technical analysis section.
- Component: Rear Suspension
- Primary reason: Performance – Local Load
- Geometric differences: Reprofiling of the fairing around the rear leg of the upper suspension wishbone.
- Description: A small update to the rear-suspension fairing profile, changing its overall incidence and lateral load distribution with the aim of obtaining a local aerodynamic downforce benefit.
Williams declares no Madrid GP upgrades
Williams has declared no technical updates for the Madrid Grand Prix.
Racing Bulls declares no Madrid GP upgrades
Racing Bulls has declared no technical updates for the Spanish weekend.
Aston Martin declares no Madrid GP upgrades
Aston Martin has declared no technical updates for Madring.
Haas declares no Madrid GP upgrades
Haas has declared no technical updates for the Madrid Grand Prix.
Audi declares no Madrid GP upgrades
Audi has declared no technical updates for the Spanish weekend.
Alpine adds a new floor-board element
Alpine has modified the Floor board by adding a new element in the forward section. The change is intended to improve local pressure distribution and airflow management, increasing the efficiency of the aerodynamic load generated in this part of the floor.
- Component: Floor board
- Primary reason: Performance – Local Load
- Geometric differences: Addition of an element to the forward section of the floor board.
- Description: The front section of the floor board has been optimised to improve local pressure distribution and airflow management, generating local aerodynamic load more efficiently.
Cadillac targets more rear downforce with two changes
Cadillac has brought two modifications, both focused on increasing aerodynamic load at the rear of the car. On the Rear Wing Flap, a revised central winglet has been reintroduced to increase downforce and improve aerodynamic stability, while the Diffuser Vane gains a small vertical fin intended to improve the efficiency of the floor’s outer channels.
Rear Wing Flap
- Component: Rear Wing Flap
- Primary reason: Performance – Local Load
- Geometric differences: Updated winglet on the trailing edge of the rear-wing flap.
- Description: The reintroduction of a revised central winglet on the trailing edge of the rear-wing flap allows more aerodynamic load to be generated at the rear while also improving overall aerodynamic stability across different operating conditions.
Diffuser Vane
- Component: Diffuser Vane
- Primary reason: Performance – Local Load
- Geometric differences: Addition of a fin on the inner trailing edge of the diffuser’s outer sidewall.
- Description: A small vertical fin has been added to the inner trailing edge of the diffuser’s outer sidewall, improving aerodynamic performance through the outer floor channels and increasing downforce at the rear of the car.
Madrid forces F1 teams to change direction after Monza
The FIA submissions underline how quickly Formula 1’s technical priorities have changed between Monza and Madrid. At the Italian Grand Prix, reducing drag and maximising straight-line efficiency were central concerns. At Madring, the emphasis has shifted towards local downforce, airflow control and a more stable aerodynamic platform.
Mercedes has brought the greatest number of declared modifications with three, while Red Bull and Cadillac have two each. McLaren, Ferrari and Alpine have submitted one apiece, taking the total to 10 upgrades across six teams. Ferrari’s change may be limited to the rear suspension, but it forms part of a wider setup shift as the SF-26 moves back towards a configuration better suited to higher aerodynamic load after Monza.
The first running at the new circuit will now reveal how effectively those simulation-led choices translate to the track. Fans can follow the full 2026 Spanish Grand Prix schedule and session times, while Madrid’s place in the championship can be viewed on the complete 2026 Formula 1 calendar.
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