🔧 Imola 2025: The F1 Team Upgrade Race That Could Change the Season

Racing Statistics
May 17
3 min read

Formula 1 returned to Imola for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with a wave of technical F1 team upgrades as teams ramp up development in the heart of the European season. Here’s a team-by-team breakdown of who brought what to the table at Imola, and how these changes aim to shift the pecking order.

Three Formula 1 cars on a track with text: "+ Corner Stability," "+ Long Run Pace," and "- Brakes." Bright colors and blurred motion. — F1 2025 Emilia Romagna GP Team Upgrades

🟠 McLaren

Formula 1 car diagram showing performance updates for Imola GP. Highlights rear wings, front suspension, and rear corner with labels. — Credit to tracinginsights.com for the image

Major Upgrade Package

McLaren stunned the paddock with a comprehensive aerodynamic update:

New Floor: Reprofiled edges for better airflow control and downforce efficiency.
Front Wing Endplate: Modified for improved outwash and tire wake management.
Rear Wing Beam Flap: Adjusted for drag reduction, aiding straight-line speed.

The package is designed to boost corner entry stability while maintaining the car’s excellent tyre management—a key strength this season.

👉 Check out our post if the McLaren tyre magic is Genius or Illegal

🔵 Red Bull

Race car diagram labeled "Imola GP Performance Updates" highlights rear corner, suspension, and engine cover in green text. Black and red color scheme.

Cooling & Aero Refinements

Red Bull introduced a subtle but critical upgrade package:

New Sidepod Inlet Geometry: For more efficient cooling, especially after suspicions of McLaren’s phase-change materials.
Floor Edge Modifications: To better seal the floor and regain ground effect dominance.

Red Bull’s focus remains on consistent balance under different fuel loads, with an eye on long-run performance.

🔴 Ferrari

Red race car with highlighted performance updates for Imola GP. Green text indicates "Rear & BeamWing" and "Rear Corner" changes.

First Major Update Since Australia

Ferrari’s Imola package was long-awaited:

Redesigned Floor and Diffuser: Targeting more rear grip and consistency.
Mirror Mounting Aerodynamics: Small but efficient tweaks for drag reduction.
Cooling Louvres: New layout to balance thermal load and aero efficiency.

This marks the debut of Ferrari’s 2025 "Phase 2" concept, aiming to better exploit their tyre performance window.

If this doesn't work.. then it must be the brakes...

⚫ Mercedes

Racing car with Petronas branding; green annotations highlight performance updates to engine cover, suspension, and wing. Text: Imola GP.

Second Wave of Concept Evolution

Mercedes brought a key evolution of their W15 concept:

Floor Redesign: Inspired by rivals, with a more aggressive undercut and edge detail.
Front Suspension Setup Changes: For better tyre warm-up and front-end bite.

They’re targeting better balance through low-speed corners—an Achilles heel so far in 2025.

🟢 Aston Martin

Green F1 car with labels showing upgrades: Beam Wing, Engine Cover, Halo, Diffuser, and Floor. Text: Imola GP Performance Updates.

Lightweight and Aero Combo

Aston Martin focused on efficiency:

Lightweight Components: Reduced mass in non-structural areas for better weight distribution.
Front Wing Detailing: Subtle rework to improve flow conditioning over the car.

The goal: reclaim lost ground in the midfield and refine race-day consistency.

Aston martin desperately needs the Adrian Newey touch this season - we will see this weekend if they will improve.

🟣 Alpine

Blue and pink race car with labeled parts, "Coke/Engine Cover" and "Front Wing." Text: "IMOLA GP PERFORMANCE UPDATES." Green accents.

Recovery Phase Upgrades

Alpine are in rebuild mode:

New Floor: More aggressive tunnels and edge design.
Sidepod Adjustments: Narrower profile for reduced drag.

With a new technical structure behind the scenes, this marks their first step in regaining competitive form.

⚪ Racing Bulls

Race car diagram labeled with performance updates: Coke/Engine Cover and Floor Body. Text Imola GP Performance Updates on a dark blue background.

Targeted Tweaks for Drivability

Racing Bulls brought:

Rear Wing Variation: Optimized for Imola’s high-speed sections.
Cooling Package Update: Repackaged internals for better efficiency.

This team continues to serve as Red Bull’s proving ground—balancing experimentation with solid midfield points.

🟡 Williams

Minor but Meaningful

Williams made minimal changes:

Front Brake Ducts: Improved cooling and aerodynamics.
Rear Suspension Adjustments: Small setup range extension for better versatility.

Their focus is on understanding their car before bigger upgrades arrive in future rounds.

🟢 Sauber

Weight and Cooling

Sauber continues refining basics:

Slimmer Cooling Inlets: Less drag while maintaining thermal control.
Weight Redistribution Efforts: Finer ballast adjustments.

While still struggling, they hope to unlock performance with better balance.

⚪ Haas

Backmarker Progress

Haas made small but necessary improvements:

Updated Floor Edge: Similar to Alpine's, for better airflow control.
New Rear Wing Spec: Aimed at reducing drag for straights.

Incremental gains are the story here, as Haas chases midfield relevance.

🚀 The Takeaway

The 2025 Emilia Romagna GP marked a turning point in the development race. McLaren made the biggest statement with a full-scale aero refresh, while Ferrari and Mercedes revealed deeper changes that could shape their title hopes.

Red Bull played it smart with incremental, high-impact updates.

Stay tuned as we continue tracking how these upgrades influence performance across Europe.

👉 Play with our interactive charts and data and make your own conclusions about every stat in 2025 season!

👉Test your reflexes to see if you are F1 Driver Material!

Find out more about the upgrades here: