DEEP DIVE: Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes bring upgrades to Azerbaijan GP as McLaren stay put

As F1 enters the final third of the season, major overhauls are rare. Most top teams are bringing fine tweaks rather than wholesale updates. The FIA requires that teams declare revised or updated aero parts; several of the top teams have made small but potentially meaningful changes, though not everyone has shaken up their car.

Here are the headline upgrades:

• Red Bull
  Red Bull have introduced a re-profiled rear inboard wing assembly on the rear corners. The goal here is to generate more local aerodynamic load while keeping airflow stability. In simpler terms: trying to gain grip/downsforce in the tricky rear portion of the car without compromising straight-line speed or creating turbulent airflow that destabilizes handling. 

• Mercedes
  The Silver Arrows are running a modified front wing with a reduced chord flap, paired with a low downforce rear wing for Baku. The flap change may help balance the front during high-speed sections or under braking, especially when running with less rear downforce. The idea is to get better car stability and handling through the slower technical parts of the Baku street circuit while still being competitive on the long straights.

• Ferrari
  Ferrari’s change is more circuit-specific: enlarged front brake duct cooling exits. Baku has some hard braking zones—from full speed into tight corners—which put lots of stress on the brakes. The modification should help with cooling there, potentially allowing Ferrari to push longer without overheating or suffering performance drop-off because of heat soak. 

• Racing Bulls
  They’re bringing upgraded front brake ducts, along with revisions to their rear brake duct geometry. Like Ferrari, this is a cooling-oriented tweak to deal with Baku’s braking demands. These updates are intended to improve airflow through the ducts and reduce thermal risk during stints and heavy braking zones. 

Who Didn’t Change

Interestingly, several teams opted not to bring updates this weekend:

• McLaren are the standout among the top-teams: no new parts declared. With Baku less favourable for high downforce, McLaren likely decided their package is good enough, or that the risk of change outweighs the reward. 

• The same goes for Aston Martin, Alpine, Williams, Sauber, and Haas: no new declared aero or cooling parts this weekend. 

Why These Upgrades Matter in Baku

The Baku City Circuit is unique. It combines ultra-fast straights with tight, technical sections, and severe braking zones (like the end of the main straight, the Old City, etc.). That makes balancing aero load with cooling, stability under braking, and tire/temperature control especially crucial.

Some of the trade-offs teams are trying to handle:

• More aero load gives grip in slow and medium speed corners, but costs in drag on the straights.

• Cooling is a big issue. Brake temperatures can spike, especially in hot weather or after safety car restarts or long stints of heavy braking.

• Stability under braking and in the twisty sections is essential. If the rear is loose or airflow unstable, drivers lose confidence, tire temperature and wear suffer, lap times slip.

So the upgrades we see from Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, Racing Bulls are geared toward those specific demands: rear aero tweaks, brake cooling, balance. If they work, they could give drivers a meaningful advantage in qualifying and in controlling tempo in the race.

Predictions: What These Upgrades Could Lead To

Given what’s been declared, here are some predictions for how things might play out based on the car changes.

• Red Bull could be more competitive than previously expected in qualifying. The rear wing changes suggest they aim to push more aggressively through the rear corners, which could help Verstappen or Tsunoda in Baku’s narrow and twisty sections. If they manage to keep down low-speed instability, they might close the gap to McLaren for pole or top-2.

• Mercedes may see better balance throughout a lap. If the reduced front flap works as intended, they might improve front grip under braking and reduce understeer issues. But they’ve got to avoid losing too much rear downforce.

• Ferrari, with brake cooling upgrades, may have an edge in the mid-race period. If their brakes were overheating before, this could allow them to push a little harder later, avoid fade, and maintain stronger pace when others are cooling or managing.

• Racing Bulls could score better in the midfield fight. With the new brake duct work, their braking performance may stay more consistent; that might help especially in qualifying, or when heavy braking zones punish poor cooling.

Final Thoughts

The Baku upgrades aren’t dramatic — they’re refinements rather than revolutions. But at a street / city circuit like Baku, even small changes can swing tenths of a second, especially when braking hard, exiting corners, or battling in traffic.

McLaren staying static suggests confidence, but it also means rivals might have marginal aero or cooling advantages this weekend. The upgrades from Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Racing Bulls likely won’t flip the order entirely, but they could compress it; grid positions might be tighter; strategies more aggressive.

For fans, that means this Azerbaijan GP might offer variety: unexpected qualifying surprises, more driver battles in braking zones, and possibly a team that’s traditionally mid-field punching up in performance because of the small aero/cooling gains.