F1 upgrades for every team: The $2.3bn arms race which will decide Lewis Hamilton title bid

The second half of the F1 season begins in a few short day, but much of what happens for the remainder of 2026 will be decided by the actions teams take away from the race track.

With a major aerodynamic and power unit overhaul heading into the 2026 campaign, F1 teams have once again been faced with the task of getting to grips with a totally new car, with the battle being as much about finding lap time on the track as well as off it.

While new regulations are a major challenge, they also pose an opportunity for those teams who can understand their new machinery fastest and identify its weaknesses.

Once those weaknesses are understood, the conversation then shifts to development, with teams having to make the tough calls on where to spend their millions and how aggressive to be with their car development.

This is particularly tough in the cost-cap era, with each of the 11 teams on the grid allowed to spend a maximum of $215 million per year on operational costs. That's $2.36 billion in total across the grid.

At the halfway point of the season it is time to look at where teams have decided to spend some of that money so far in 2026, and what other upgrades are coming further down the line.

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Every F1 team's upgrades so far in 2026 and what's left to come

Here is our rundown on where all 11 teams stand, and what is still to come:

Mercedes

Mercedes started the year with the best car and the best power unit, and it has shown in the results, with the Silver Arrows winning the first six grands prix of the year and eight of the 11 so far this campaign.

Still, the team has been working hard to improve that ever since Melbourne, having brought a string of minor upgrades to their car before their first major upgrade package in Canada, which addressed the front wing, floor, front brake ducts, rear corner, and diffuser on the W17.

Further upgrades came at the Austrian Grand Prix, with the Silver Arrows introducing reliability updates to their power unit after suffering multiple DNFs in the first half of the season.

Reports now suggest that the team are set to make another big push to see out the season, switching to 'plan B' due to close competition from Ferrari and McLaren.

Further minor improvements are expected at the Dutch Grand Prix this month, before a major development lands at either the Bahrain or Singapore Grand Prix in October.

Ferrari

Ferrari first turned heads in the F1 development race when they introduced the 'Macarena' rear wing in practice at the Chinese Grand Prix and then raced with it in Miami, where they introduced a major new aerodynamic package.

Strong upgrades then came again in Barcelona, with a new front wing and floor, among other things, helping Lewis Hamilton find the speed to take his first grand prix victory of the season and his first in red.

The Scuderia then made the most of their ADUO allowance by bringing a new specification power unit to the Austrian Grand Prix, and they are set to make further improvements in this regard at the Italian Grand Prix next month.

Before that, though, it is expected that the Scuderia will bring another floor upgrade to the SF-26 at the Dutch Grand Prix, which has been described as a 'significant' evolution of the one they introduced at Barcelona.

McLaren

Having won back-to-back constructors' championships in 2024 and 2025, McLaren entered the 2026 season on the back foot. However, slowly but surely, the Woking-based outfit have been bringing performance to the MCL40.

This included using the gap between races after the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix were postponed, with the team unleashing a major upgrade package across the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix, with team chief Andrea Stella even describing it as a 'new car'.

McLaren's biggest upgrade of the year came last time out in Budapest, where an updated floor and aerodynamic package catapulted them to the front of the pack, with Lando Norris winning the Hungarian Grand Prix. They might have had a one-two were it not for reliability troubles for Oscar Piastri.

Further upgrades are coming, too. McLaren trialed the 'Macarena' wing in Hungary, and the team could look to deploy it in the future, while another big aerodynamic package is reportedly targeted to come in at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at the end of September.

Red Bull

Red Bull are a far cry from the team which dominated F1 just a few years ago and it may yet cost them their four-time world champion driver, Max Verstappen.

Like most teams, Red Bull introduced their first big upgrade package of the year in Miami, overhauling their front wing, sidepods, floor, engine cover and rear wing (Macarena style).

That Macarena wing has now been taken off the car, though, with the team focusing their development elsewhere after Max Verstappen experienced random spins resulting in crashes in Austria and Silverstone.

For the remainder of the season, reports suggest that Red Bull are set to dial back the development of their 2026 car, instead opting to put most of their resources behind their 2027 machine.

Aston Martin

With design genius Adrian Newey at the helm heading into 2026, big things were expected of Aston Martin this season. However, up until Hungary, it was a complete disaster.

At the start of the season, the team's new Honda power unit had vibrations which risked permanent nerve damage for drivers Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, while Newey's chassis also failed to meet expectations.

Having struggled through the opening 10 races and scoring just a single point, Aston Martin introduced a major upgrade package at the Hungarian Grand Prix last time out, with almost an entirely new car bar the engine, gearbox and front suspension. Sixteen upgrades in total.

The Silverstone-based outfit were instantly more competitive as a result, with further 'steps' set to come at Monza and Baku, as per Newey.

Racing Bulls

Unlike their senior team, Racing Bulls are having a decent campaign so far, currently leading the midfield battle. The team brought their first big upgrades in the North American part of the season in Miami and Canada, with further performance updates in Belgium for Arvid Lindblad, including a revised engine cover and new rear wing assembly.

Liam Lawson got those updates last time out in Hungary, and it now remains to be seen where the team targets the rest of their development as they look to secure fifth spot in the constructors' championship.

Alpine

Alpine were the worst team in F1 last season, but in 2026 things have been much different, for the better. With a Mercedes power unit in their car, the team have been bringing minor tweaks to their aero throughout the campaign, with a major package having been introduced in Canada.

A significant aerodynamic package is also set to be introduced at the Dutch Grand Prix later this month, with the team looking to improve their high-speed cornering.

Haas

Like most teams on the grid, Haas introduced their first major upgrade package at the Canadian Grand Prix, revising their bodywork by switching up their sidepod inlet and engine cover. A new floor was also introduced.

Further down the line, a revised front wing was added to the VF-26 in Belgium, and while team chief Ayao Komatsu says that these have delivered, it hasn't shown in the results just yet.

Audi

Having taken over at Sauber, Audi have had a steady but not spectacular start to the season, but big upgrades are on the way.

Reports out of Germany suggest that the team are set to be very aggressive in terms of their car development throughout the second half of the season, with four more rounds of upgrades planned between now and December.

Williams

Having started the year with an overweight car, much of Williams' work so far this season has been on reducing that extra baggage.

According to team principal James Vowles, the team made a 'nice little step' at the British Grand Prix last month, with the team planning to have an 'almost entirely new car' for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September.

Cadillac

A new team on the grid for 2026, Cadillac already had their work cut out just getting a car on the track, never mind a competitive one.

The team, however, continues to seek performance this year, having brought in a host of aerodynamic and mechanical upgrades for the Miami Grand Prix, followed by a new floor and sidepod design at the Austrian Grand Prix.

After taking over as team principal, Marcin Budkowski says the team's priority is now fixing their reliability gremlins ahead of the second half of the season.

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Written by

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson - F1 Editor

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