Formula 1: Are teams bringing any major car upgrades to Hungarian GP 2023?

McLaren showed in Silverstone what new upgrades could do in terms of car racing.

The Formula 1 2023 season is almost halfway done, and up next is the Hungarian GP 2023, known for its unpredictable weather and challenging track layout. And although Red Bull has dominated the 2023 season, teams like McLaren and Mercedes are slowly but surely catching up. Now, let’s take a closer look at the teams bringing upgrades to the Hungarian GP 2023.

Red Bull

Red Bull’s domination this season has been nothing short of extraordinary, with their two drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, winning every race of the season so far. However, their RB 19 might not be the best fit for the high-speed and tight circuit of Hungary. To tackle this, the team is preparing a substantial upgrade package, projected to provide a two-tenths speed advantage - a significant boost in Formula 1 terms.

In terms of specific changes, the team is particularly focusing on optimizing the car’s side pods, an area that has caught the attention of rival teams aiming to emulate the reigning champions’ success. Additionally, the upgrades promise to enhance the RB-19’s aesthetics as well.

However, it is important to note Red Bull will not halt the RB 19’s development yet. Instead, they plan to continue developing this year’s car during the summer break and introduce further upgrades throughout the season.

McLaren

Although Red Bull has been the dominant force this year, Silverstone proved that other teams, McLaren, in particular, are catching up as Lando Norris secured an outstanding second-place finish and even took the lead from Max at the start. Now, as the Hungarian GP 2023 approaches, McLaren is set to introduce major upgrades to increase the overall pace of their car.

“For Hungary, we have some further updates that will let more from the point of view of trying to improve the race pace. These will be available to both drivers. Like any other team, we will carry on delivering some upgrades to the following races. This is also thanks to the fact that once we started redesigning the car, now we kind of unlocked performance and through iterations, we keep seeing the aerodynamic development being quite effective,” said McLaren team principal Andrea Stella.