Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: The Teams Bringing Upgrades This Weekend

A number of constructors will be bringing small upgrade packages to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. This is an overview of what we know.

Ferrari

Charles Leclerc faces a challenging weekend as he shoulders a 10-place grid penalty for utilising his third control electronics of the season already. Despite this setback, Ferrari's optimism remains unshaken, with Fred Vasseur asserting that Scuderia's power unit level did not contribute to the team's Bahrain DNF. In the most favorable outcome, the Monegasque driver will kick off at 11th place and must dodge any early mishaps.

As Snoop Dogg once said... Wiggle wiggle wiggle. #SaudiArabianGP https://t.co/pDTbETdlTF
— F1FAll (@F1fAllOfficial) March 16, 2023

The SF-23's shortcomings in both reliability and performance have come to the forefront. During qualifying, Ferrari struggled to keep up with Red Bull, and the team's lackluster race pace further emphasized their inability to advance over the winter. Now, they're bringing "small upgrades" to the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and cameras at the track have already captured the SF23 running single-pylon wings.

Mercedes

Mercedes plans to roll out some updates for the Saudi Arabian race after a poor Bahrain showing, but their primary focus still remains on a substantial upgrade package initially slated for Imola or Baku.

McLaren

Team principal Andrea Stella has revealed that the British team will roll out small upgrades for this weekend. “Some minor updates will debut in Saudi Arabia and Australia," he said.

Jaddah is a fast and exciting track with the need for serious amounts of precision as cars get up close and personal with walls. Unlike Bahrain there are no run-off areas, so adrenaline is high for both drivers and viewers.