McLaren has arrived at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with one of the most substantial visible upgrade packages in the Baku pit lane, revising the MCL40’s sidepods, floor and potentially parts of its diffuser. Ferrari, meanwhile, appears to have taken a more targeted approach with the SF-26, retaining the single-piece floor configuration already seen at Monza as it prioritises aerodynamic efficiency for Baku’s exceptionally long full-throttle sections.
The contrasting choices underline the unusual technical challenge created by the Azerbaijan street circuit. Baku forces Formula 1 teams to combine low drag and efficient energy deployment with strong braking, low-speed traction and enough mechanical agility to negotiate the narrowest part of the lap. The challenge has become even more complex with the characteristics of the 2026 cars and their active aerodynamic systems.
Why Baku creates one of Formula 1’s most difficult setup compromises
The first sector is dominated by straights, repeated heavy braking and a succession of 90-degree corners. The demands then change considerably through the middle of the lap, where the narrow Castle section rewards precision, low-speed responsiveness and the ability to generate traction without destabilising the rear axle.
From Turn 16 onwards, the nature of the circuit changes again. The closing corners are taken virtually flat out before the cars enter more than two kilometres of sustained full-throttle running. Speeds above 350 km/h have been recorded in previous seasons, although the 2026 benchmark will depend on the different characteristics of the new generation of cars and, crucially, how teams manage electrical energy across the lap.
That energy-management element is already central to Ferrari’s weekend. The Scuderia has been studying how to distribute electrical deployment across the lap, a challenge explored further in our analysis of Ferrari’s Baku deployment limits and SF-26 setup work.
Energy deployment could define the Azerbaijan GP
Some simulations suggest that, in qualifying trim, drivers could reach the closing phase of the lap with the battery close to fully charged before deploying a large proportion of that energy on the run towards Turn 1. Baku therefore represents a particularly severe energy-management test, even if it may be marginally less demanding in this respect than Monza.
One possible strategy is to sacrifice electrical assistance during shorter, less rewarding sections in order to preserve more energy for the final straight, where deployment provides a much larger lap-time benefit. The fastest car through a particular speed trap will not necessarily be the one with the strongest overall package, because traffic, slipstream, aerodynamic configuration and electrical deployment can all influence the number. Those comparisons can be followed through the ScuderiaFans F1 Top Speed Comparison.
Active aerodynamics gives engineers another tool. The 2026 cars can alter the behaviour of the front and rear wings depending on the phase of the lap, unloading them on the straights to reduce resistance before restoring greater downforce in the corners. Straight Mode widens the setup window, but it does not remove Baku’s fundamental compromise between straight-line efficiency and grip through the technical sections.
The circuit may actually suit the new cars somewhat better than initially expected. Many of Baku’s corners are slow 90-degree turns rather than fast, aerodynamically dependent sweepers, while the repeated heavy braking zones offer substantial opportunities for energy recovery. Early simulations place the 2026 cars approximately one to two seconds behind the 2025 lap-time benchmarks, although only running on the circuit can provide a definitive reference.
Ferrari keeps the single-piece SF-26 floor for Baku
Pit-lane images indicate that Ferrari intends to retain the SF-26’s single-piece floor panel, the configuration reintroduced at Monza. The solution is aimed at containing aerodynamic drag, making it particularly logical at a circuit where efficiency and maximum speed along the final straight are among the dominant performance requirements.
The choice fits the broader technical direction Ferrari has been pursuing as it tries to make the SF-26 work across circuits with very different demands. Further coverage of the car’s evolving concepts and track-specific configurations can be found in our Ferrari technical analysis section.
Ferrari also appears set to return to the standard version of the FTM, the small aerodynamic element positioned ahead of the exhaust. Unlike the particular configuration used at Monza, the conventional specification should allow the team to recover downforce in an area where the associated drag penalty is relatively modest.
The mechanical side of the SF-26 will be just as important. Repeated acceleration from slow corners continually loads the rear axle, making efficient torque delivery and traction essential, while the braking system has to withstand numerous high-energy stops. Ferrari therefore has to combine its low-drag choices with a platform that remains predictable under braking and when power is applied on corner exit.
McLaren redesigns the MCL40 sidepods for Azerbaijan
McLaren’s approach is far more extensive. The team has brought a substantial aerodynamic package to Baku, continuing the development path established with the changes introduced around the Hungarian and Dutch Grands Prix.
The most immediately visible revision concerns the sidepod inlets, which have become noticeably narrower. However, the work extends well beyond the entrance itself. The downstream shape of the MCL40’s sidepods has also been redesigned, altering the way airflow is managed and directed towards the rear of the car.
The floor has received attention as well. A new floor-edge geometry is visible, together with a small revision to the cut-outs immediately ahead of the rear wheels. That region plays an important role in dealing with the disturbed airflow generated by the rotating tyres and controlling how that turbulence interacts with the floor.
A possible alteration to the diffuser’s vertical elements has also been identified, although this still requires clearer imagery before it can be confirmed. McLaren has additionally fitted several sensors to the car during free practice, allowing engineers to collect track data and verify whether the new aerodynamic package behaves as intended under real conditions.
Williams targets weight while Racing Bulls changes its front wing
Williams has also brought a significant package to Azerbaijan, although much of its work cannot be seen externally. The primary focus has been weight reduction in areas of the monocoque through the use of new moulding technologies.
The visible aerodynamic changes are more limited. Williams has modified the fences around the floor-channel inlets and reshaped the cut-outs in the region ahead of the rear wheels.
Racing Bulls has introduced a new front-wing solution. Here, active aerodynamics changes the traditional setup trade-off considerably. Teams are able to run greater wing incidence for Baku’s slow and twisty sections because the front wing can open in Straight Line Mode, reducing drag once the car reaches the long acceleration zones.
Baku becomes a major test of the 2026 Formula 1 concept
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix therefore offers a particularly revealing test of how effectively the 2026 regulations allow teams to reconcile conflicting demands. Active aerodynamics can reduce part of the old compromise, but electrical deployment, braking stability, traction and aerodynamic efficiency remain closely connected.
Ferrari has chosen to build around a low-drag floor concept already used at Monza, while McLaren has arrived with much broader changes to the MCL40’s airflow management. The significance of those solutions will become clearer once track running shows how efficiently each car can convert its technical choices into speed across Baku’s very different sectors.
For Ferrari in particular, the aim is to extract the available performance without allowing the final straight and its energy demands to expose the SF-26. The wider challenge facing the car in Azerbaijan has already been examined in our assessment of why the SF-26 must put its strengths together in Baku.
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