Red Bull’s same but different floor

Max Verstappen will test out a new floor this weekend, running with re-positioned floor fences and new floor edge surfaces – aimed at increasing local load.

While it might be perceived as a gamble on a Sprint weekend, the team’s chief engineer Paul Monaghan is anticipating the update to be “reasonably stable” and therefore “low risk”.

“We’re not fearing it to be aerodynamically unstable or anything of that nature. It can go on and it will give us a few kilos of load, and we shall enjoy the benefits.”

The team have been contending with balance issues that saw them off the pace and struggling in Bahrain two rounds ago, and by addressing the through-corner balance to stop rear sliding with incremental upgrades like this one, Monaghan says they will “continue to make steps” in the right direction.

With the changes being so small and “low risk” it’s possible that their impact on performance will also be small, but in a field as tight as the current one and with a title fight ongoing, every marginal gain counts.

Mercedes’ circuit specific wing change

Mercedes are among the teams who have brought a new rear wing to Miami, aimed at drag reduction to suit the circuit’s long straights.

The team have made a camber change to the flap, reducing it to reduce local downforce and drag to achieve an efficient and appropriate level of each for the track.

Aston Martin alter all wings

Aston Martin have brought updates to all of their wings for this weekend, with each change being circuit specific.

The front wing has been updated to lower the load of the flap, reducing front downforce levels in proportion to the lower downforce rear wings that are typically seen for Miami.

They’ve taken a similar approach to their rear wing and beam wing updates – reducing the loading and drag of each to meet the efficiency needed here.

Alpine update front corner & suspension

Alpine have revised their front brake duct inlet to optimise the local flow, which they say will also offer “a gain in brake cooling efficiency”. In line with this, parts of the front suspension geometry have been re-profiled to optimise the flow around the updated front brake drum.

Williams bring new beam wing

Williams have brought a circuit specific upgrade to their beam wing this weekend, aimed at efficiently reducing downforce and drag. The new beam wing element “has a shorter chord than the previous beam wing” that ran with the rear wing assembly the team are using in Miami.

It seems this will be an additional setup option for the team this weekend as they say in their submission to the FIA that it “might be suitable for the layout of the Miami circuit”.

Sauber improve flow around front suspension

The final update for Miami is for Kick Sauber who have updated their front suspension cover design. To improve the local flow structures “travelling all along the car”, the team have updated the lower wishbone covers.

New power unit components up and down the field

In addition to the aerodynamic upgrades, several teams and drivers have taken new power unit components heading in.

All Mercedes powered cars (Mercedes, McLaren, Williams & Aston Martin) and the Ferrari-powered Kick Saubers and Haas of Esteban Ocon have elected to take new ICEs, turbochargers, MGU-Hs, MGU-Ks, and exhaust systems.

For all of these cars, these are their first new parts from their season allowances for each component.