What upgrades are F1 teams bringing to Imola?

Photo: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

16. 05. 2025 11:14 CET
icon timer
4 min

What upgrades are F1 teams bringing to Imola?

Tereza Hořínková

Tereza Hořínková

News.GP journalist specialising in F1 and MotoGP

Formula 1 f1 f12025season imolaf1 f1upgrades

As Formula 1 heads to Imola for the first race of the European leg, many teams are introducing important updates to their cars. The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix marks a key point in the season, where developments can make a real difference in performance.

F1 & MotoGP news to your inbox every day.

McLaren

McLaren have brought a mix of general and circuit-specific updates to Imola. They made changes to the rear corner and suspension to improve how air flows around the car and increase grip.

For Imola, which is a medium- to high-downforce circuit, they also introduced a special rear wing and beam wing. These are circuit-specific upgrades designed to give more downforce, helping the car stay stable and fast through the many corners and quick direction changes.

Lastly, they made a small change to the front suspension to improve reliability and make sure the parts fit together more smoothly.

 

Ferrari

Ferrari have brought a mix of general and circuit-specific updates to Imola, similar to McLaren. One of the changes is to the rear corner of the car, where they revised the scoop shape and winglet layout. This is not circuit-specific and is part of their normal development, focused on improving airflow and rear grip.

The other two updates, the rear wing and beam wing, are circuit-specific. Ferrari have brought a higher-downforce rear wing package, carried over from last season. It’s not the main wing they’ll use, but it gives them an option in case of lower grip conditions. The beam wing has also been updated to match the high-downforce setup.

 

Mercedes

Mercedes have made three updates to improve how air flows around their car and help with cooling. First, they reshaped the front suspension covers to improve how air moves to the back of the car. This helps the car stay stable in different conditions and improves performance.

They also changed the shape of the front wing. This helps guide the air better behind the wing, sending it more smoothly to the back of the car.

Lastly, they made a small change to the shape of the engine cover. This helps send more air to the rear wing for better grip and also helps the engine stay cool more efficiently.

 

Red Bull

Red Bull have made three changes to improve how air flows around the car. First, they updated the shape of the engine cover and sidepods, including the air ducts. This helps improve the car’s overall aerodynamic efficiency.

They also changed the shape of the covers around the rear suspension. This improves how air flows in that area and helps with rear grip and performance.

Lastly, they made adjustments to the bodywork around the rear wheels, changing how air enters and exits. These small tweaks help clean up the airflow and make the car more efficient.

Aston Martin

Aston Martin have made several changes to their car to improve speed and grip. They updated the halo to help air flow better around the driver.

They made big changes to the floor, including the main part, the fences underneath, and the edges. These changes help air move more smoothly under the car, which increases grip and makes the car better in corners.

At the back, they changed the diffuser to help air leave the car more cleanly. This gives better balance and stability. They also reshaped the engine cover to work better with the new floor.

Finally, they changed the beam wing under the rear wing. It now creates less drag, so the car can go faster on straights while still keeping good grip.

 

Alpine

Alpine have made two updates to their car. First, they changed the front wing and flap. These parts have been reshaped to spread the pressure more evenly and improve grip during different parts of the lap.

They also updated the engine cover at the back of the car. This new shape helps the air move better around the rear, which can improve balance and make the car more efficient.

 

Haas

Haas have made several updates to improve how air flows through and around their car. They changed the shape of the front part of the floor to help air move more cleanly to the back. This helps the car use energy from the floor better and improves overall performance.

The floor edge has been made slimmer, which works with the new front floor to help air flow more smoothly to the rear. The diffuser at the back of the car now also has a new shape to match how the air moves underneath. This helps the car perform better at different ride heights.

They also updated the shape of parts around the rear brakes and corners of the car. This gives better control of the air behind the wheels and improves grip.

Lastly, they changed the shape of the lower rear suspension to work better with all the other new parts and improve airflow at the back.

 

Racing Bulls

Racing Bulls have updated the floor and engine cover on their car. They changed the shape of the channels under the floor, which helps increase grip at the front of the car. These changes also improve how air moves under the rest of the floor without causing problems at the back.

They also reshaped the undercut of the sidepods and added a small new winglet on the chassis. These updates help control the air going to the back of the car, especially around the floor edge and rear wing.

logo-newsgp logo-instagram logo-linkedin logo-whatsapp

Tereza Hořínková

Tereza is a dedicated sports journalist and mass media student, who has been passionate about the motorsport world since young age. Her work focuses on the stories on and off the track, while making motorsport feel accessible and exciting for every kind of fan.

To the topic

F1 & MotoGP news to your inbox every day.

logo-newsgp
Information

icon F1 and MotoGPF1 and MotoGP news

icon articlesNew articles every day

icon worldNews from around the world

icon reportsReports from races

logo-newsgp logo-instagram logo-linkedin logo-x logo-whatsapp logo-youtube

F1 & MotoGP news around the globe

Contact

NewsGP s.r.o.
Nové Sady 988/2
602 00, Brno, Czechia
IČO 22343776
European Union

info@news.gp


We have established partnerships with circuits, organizers, and official partners. As we do not collaborate directly with the owner of the Formula 1 licensing, it is necessary for us to include the following statement:

This website is unofficial and is not associated in any way with the Formula 1 companies. F1, FORMULA ONE, FORMULA 1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX and related marks are trade marks of Formula One Licensing B.V.