What technical upgrades did McLaren, Ferrari, Aston Martin and others make in Saudi Arabia?

The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2025, held on the fast and challenging Jeddah Corniche Circuit, was a strategic stage for Formula 1 teams to bring updates aimed at aerodynamic efficiency.

On a circuit requiring medium to low-downforce set-ups, where top speed and stability in high-speed corners are both crucial car traits, many teams took the chance to adapt their aerodynamic packages and test new components.

Reigning constructors’ champion and current leader McLaren made upgrades beyond circuit-specific changes.

McLaren

Among the most active teams on the 2025 F1 development front is undoubtedly McLaren.

The Woking, United Kingdom team has maintained the trend it started in 2024, introducing updates at almost constant intervals. Even at Jeddah it was no exception, bringing two interesting new features: a new diffuser and an update to the rear brake winglets.

The diffuser, according to official FIA documents, features modifications to the side profiles to improve flow extraction at the bottom end of the car - enhancing the effect of the underfloor Venturi tunnels.

Although the new component was available from Friday, the team chose not to use it in qualifying and in the race, a sign that the data collected has not yet convinced them completely - or that it was an initial test with a view to future development.

The new rear brake intakes were used in Saudi Arabia, however. They were redesigned to improve aerodynamic management through a slight change to the winglets, and at the same time optimise the generation of vortices - crucial for the overall efficiency of the rear of the MCL39.

The McLaren F1 car was also fitted with a downforce-reducing rear wing - thanks to its smaller surface area - which had already been seen both at pre-season testing and in free practice for the Australian Grand Prix.

Lando Norris and eventual race winner Oscar Piastri therefore already had plenty of feedback and data regarding the car’s performance at high-speed tracks. 

Circuit specific changes at the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Jeddah Corniche Circuit is atypical: urban, but extremely fast, with long stretches at full throttle, fast corners and tight confines.

In this context, aerodynamic efficiency plays a central role. The teams are therefore forced to find the ideal compromise between downforce and drag.

To meet these demands, several teams introduced low-downforce configurations, particularly with new rear wing specifications:

Ferrari
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Ferrari continues to work on the SF-25 in a hope to bridge the gap to McLaren. In Jeddah it fitted a new rear wing with an update to the main flap - making the chord length shorter - while the rest of the rear wing remained the same as in previous races.

The aim is to reduce drag without compromising stability in fast sections.

The Italian team carried out comparative aerodynamic set-up tests with the new rear wing throughout the weekend. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton initially did their Friday runs with opposite configurations, then converged on the configuration that favoured more speed.

Haas
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Haas followed a similar approach to Ferrari with a more unloaded rear wing than previous specifications.

For a team that puts a lot of emphasis on efficiency and design simplicity, the adoption of a wing suitable for fast tracks like Jeddah is crucial to stay competitive in a tight midfield group.

The VF-25 also had similar work on the front wing as it sported a smaller main flap. 

Aston Martin
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Aston Martin brought a low-downforce specification to maximise straight line speed which, at Jeddah, regularly exceeds 200 miles per hour. Its approach mirrored that of Ferrari as well, but the team still struggled with stability and overall performance.

It’s not yet clear when Aston Martin will bring sweeping upgrades to its AMR25, after a tough start to 2025.

Red Bull
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Red Bull struggled on the rough surface of Bahrain but brought parts to Saudi Arabia - and returned to the circuit with strong performance.

It tapered the ends of its rear wing to improve its high-speed set-up.

A beamwing suited to the track layout was also introduced on the RB21 in Jeddah, as well as a new engine cover to improve heat dissipation on hotter tracks.