Yahoo Autos Technical updates: 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix
Red Bull, Aston Martin and Stake all have major upgrade packages at the Hungarian Grand Prix as only McLaren submits no new parts.
For the first of two back-to-back weekends before Formula 1’s mid-season August shutdown, Red Bull has introduced a new front wing and front lower wishbone shrouding, as well as making changes to the rear corner around the wheel bodywork to improve performance. With high temperatures all weekend in Budapest, there are also resculpted sidepods and engine cover for cooling reasons, leading to an associated halo tweak.
A relatively small change at Mercedes — where there’s a trimming of the lower deflector endplate on the rear corner — is intended to improve rear downforce, and it is matched by just one update from Ferrari. There, however, the reworked floor underbody is an evolution of the upgrade brought to Spain that has been causing bouncing issues, with the minor modification aimed to improve stability.
At Aston Martin, a significant upgrade package includes a new front wing design that is described as “more aggressive to balance the car car with the higher loaded rear wing.” The team’s halo has revised vanes, while there’s a new floor — including floor fences and floor edge — and diffuser, as well as an updated beam wing that all provide increased load.
Alonso’s upgraded Aston Martin AMR24 leaves the pit lane during opening Hungarian GP practice. Zak Mauger/Motorsport Images
The Stake Sauber update is even more extensive, with nine areas submitted to the FIA as having been addressed. A revision to the sidepod inlet works in conjunction with a redesigned engine cover, while there’s a new floor body and floor edge to increase downforce.
The rear corner and rear suspension have both been updated to deliver a clean airflow, and a change to the halo has also been required due to slightly raised headrest shoulders and updated mirror geometries — themselves a result of the sidepod and engine cover developments.
Alpine and Williams both have cooling range changes — a wider inlet and exit duct on the rear brakes for the former, and larger central exit duct on the engine cover for the latter — while RB has similarly brought an update to its front brake ducts for cooling, as well as evolving the winglets on the rear corner to increase downforce.
Haas also has a cooling-specific pair of developments, with a larger engine cover cooling exit, as well as a set of louvers on the top of the sidepod and extra louvers on the engine cover.
