Audi leads Baku upgrade push as McLaren and Williams reveal FIA details

McLaren and Williams may have grabbed the headlines, but Audi brought the biggest upgrade package to Baku. The FIA submission reveals 14 new parts on the R26, while McLaren arrived with eight and Williams completed its FW48 overhaul.

Why it matters:

Mid-season upgrades can shift the order. McLaren trails Ferrari by 52 points in the constructors' fight, Williams needs to climb the midfield, and Audi is seeking validation for its development path.

The details:

• McLaren brought eight updates, almost all performance-related: sidepod inlet, engine cover, floor edge, diffuser, rear suspension and rear wing to improve flow conditioning. The rear wing's Straight Line Mode flap was changed to an alternative position for a larger drag reduction.
• Williams used Baku for the final step of Vowles' "almost entirely new car." The FW48 gets a revised floor, new tail geometry, front corner, suspension cladding and rear brake duct furniture.
• Audi led with 14 performance parts, including a new front wing, nose, front and rear suspension, engine cover, Halo, rear wing assembly and floor. Effectively a B-spec R26.
• Elsewhere, Red Bull brought five parts including a new floor body and sidepod split line; Racing Bulls focused on the front end; Cadillac added front suspension and diffuser. Ferrari was among five teams with no new parts.

Between the lines:

Albon says the upgrades are "significant if they work," with weight loss a guaranteed gain. Bortoleto called Audi's parts "interesting," while Hulkenberg expects their true potential to appear in Malaysia and Singapore.

What's next:

Baku will provide the first read on these parts. The next races will show whether Williams and Audi have genuinely moved forward.