McLaren inflict Silverstone pain as Red Bull respond in upgrade war

McLaren and Red Bull were the only two top F1 teams to declare upgrades to their cars ahead of the British Grand Prix. The Woking and Milton Keynes squads have both ported floor updates to the MCL39 and RB21, respectively, at Silverstone, as confirmed by the FIA pre-round disclosure document. In addition to its revised floor geometry, the constructors' champion has delivered a rear corner development, by way of a revised inlet to improve local flow for increased aerodynamic and brake cooling performance. Red Bull, on the other hand, has repositioned its floor fences to better optimise pressure distribution, allowing more load without harming flow stability. It has also re-profiled certain floor surfaces to supplement the changes to the fences. Neither Mercedes nor Ferrari has disclosed any changes to the W16 and the SF-25, respectively. Further down the order Further down the pecking order, Aston Martin and Haas lead the way, having both brought four upgrades apiece for the British Grand Prix. The Silverstone-based team has an updated floor body, fence and edge to improve local load on the lower surface of the AMR25. Those changes are complemented by a change to the profile of the engine cover and coke of the car. The American team, meanwhile, has reprofiled the sidepod inlet on the VF-25 in addition to its own comprehensive floor updates, all aimed at enhancing underfloor flow management and increasing ground effect efficiency. "This results in improved cornering stability, higher mid-corner speeds, and greater driver confidence through more consistent aerodynamic behaviour," according to the Kannapolis outfit. Racing Bulls has a new front wing flap geometry, designed to cater to the low balance of the Silverstone Circuit - and future events. Williams has changed its inboard floor fence geometry around the leading edge of the car, and Stake has an updated floor body and new front wing flap design, the latter for the same justification as Racing Bulls. Alpine, last in the constructors' standings, is the only team in the bottom six not to bring any upgrades.