Technical updates: French Grand Prix
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McLaren and AlphaTauri both have major new packages at the French Grand Prix while there are minor updates for the front-running teams.
The most substantial changes are at McLaren, where Andreas Seidl’s team has introduced changes to the floor, diffuser, sidepods, engine cover rear wing and rear brake ducts.
Seidl told RACER on Thursday that the new parts are ready for both cars and the hope is it will put McLaren back ahead of Alpine in terms of raw pace, the French constructor having drawn level on points in recent races.
AlphaTauri similarly has a big package that it is bringing to Paul Ricard, that includes a similar focus on the floor area, where far more of the downforce is produced on the 2022 generation of cars. There is a new diffuser and engine cover for AlphaTauri as well, as the other team to have a wide range of changes.
Pierre Gasly’s revised AlphaTauri AT03 in French GP practice. Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, Alpine, Aston Martin and Williams all list relatively minor floor developments, although Ferrari’s has an update to the diffuser as part of its components, while Red Bull also has tweaked the rear corner of the RB18.
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While the Williams submissions of upgrades is small, the team is providing Nicholas Latifi with the wider update package that was first introduced on Alex Albon’s car at Silverstone.
Alfa Romeo is the other team with a new part in France, modifying a deflector on the rear corner of its car. Haas has no updates this weekend but is set to introduce a major package in Hungary next week.