The first race of the year is always the most cryptic for updates, as teams are not required to declare changes compared to testing. Thus, there are those who, like Ferrari, limit themselves to listing the main differences of the 2026 cars and those who, instead, report some of the developments compared to the launch version. This is the case for Mercedes and McLaren, which are racing in Australia with updates to the front and rear respectively.
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McLaren updates
The world champions have declared some changes to the rear of the MCL40, including the fairings of the rear suspension arms. This is an area already subject to development in the previous regulatory cycle, given its importance for the flow of air exiting into the environment behind the diffuser. McLaren also reports having intervened along the edge of the floor near the rear wheels, but from the outside, no significant changes compared to testing can be appreciated.
More evident, however, is the new rear wing. In Woking, they have redesigned the mobile profiles, increasing the chord of the upper element relative to the intermediate one, with the stated goal of increasing downforce with the wing closed without increasing overall drag. Aerodynamic efficiency is particularly important in 2026 Formula 1, as it is closely connected to fuel consumption and energy management. During Friday practice, McLaren evaluated the new wing with Lando Norris in the morning, which Oscar Piastri also adopted in the second session after initially providing a comparison with the testing specification.
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Mercedes: the Bahrain wing is back
The team led by Toto Wolff has listed the changes made to the W17 from its presentation until its arrival in Melbourne. Most notable is the new bodywork introduced in Bahrain, characterized by a more downward slope and greater tapering at the rear. Also present is the floor already seen in the second week of testing, tweaked along the outer edge.
The main update on the W17, however, is the front wing, which the team had already tested in Bahrain, alternating it with the launch version. What changes is the camber of the profiles, which is difficult to appreciate with the naked eye, while the two flaps mounted on the outside of the endplate fences are more evident, a solution now widely used to better manage turbulence from the front wheels. Exceptions, for the moment, are Red Bull and Ferrari, which on this front seem to prefer a different approach from the Mercedes-powered teams.
