Yahoo Autos Technical upgrades: 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix
McLaren, Aston Martin and Alpine are the only teams with new parts submitted for the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
The final two races of the season run back to back at Las Vegas and Abu Dhabi, and with a new venue to get to grips with the majority of teams have opted to run cars without changes to provide a stable baseline. But two of the three to bring track-specific updates — McLaren and Aston Martin — are just 21 points apart in the constructors’ championship with just two rounds to go.
McLaren has designed a special beam wing and rear wing that is specific to Vegas, with the two working in conjunction to maximize efficiency and allow the team to change which aspect generates the most load.
Lance Stroll in the Las Vegas-spec Aston Martin AMR23. Simon Galloway/Motorsport Images
For Aston Martin, the theory is similar but sees an update to the front wing that “is to balance the car with lower rear wing levels when circuit characteristics require that setup,” while there is a change to the cooling options on the bodywork and engine cover due to the lower ambient temperatures.
Alpine has the most tweaks to its car with three areas, and combines those above with a lower-drag beam wing paired with a front wing change that “is the most efficient way to balance the revised beam wing update.” Alpine has also removed upper flicks on the rear brake drums to reduce drag.