Manufacturers are still focused on bringing major upgrades to gain an edge over rivals.
Recent performances from McLaren and Mercedes have shown the importance of updates, as both teams are now in contention for pole positions and race wins.
A report from Formu1a.uno suggests that a mid-grid team aims to make significant progress in Spain.
Visa Cash App RB plans to bring their “most important” update of the season to the Spanish Grand Prix, which could potentially save them considerable time each lap if it meets their £890m expectations.
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After rebranding over the winter, the season has been positive for Red Bull’s sister team, V-CARB.
Last year, AlphaTauri was 8th in the Constructors’ Championship, but the new V-CARB team has surpassed Williams and Alpine this season.
Although Daniel Ricciardo’s return to Formula 1 hasn’t gone as planned, his performance in Canada was promising.
Yuki Tsunoda, Ricciardo’s teammate, has been turning heads in the paddock.
The Japanese driver is currently in the top ten of the Drivers’ Championship, above Lance Stroll, and frequently reaches Q3 in qualifying. He was disappointed with an 8th place start in Montreal, while Ricciardo started from the third row of the grid.
Visa Cash App RB hopes their upcoming update at the Spanish Grand Prix will solidify their position in the midfield and increase the gap over the bottom four teams.
If successful, Aston Martin might need to worry about their championship standing.
The Formu1a.uno report details RB’s expectations for the update.
Their first upgrade package in Miami saw Ricciardo finish fourth in the Sprint Race, and Tsunoda earned five points across both races.
However, “authoritative sources” have indicated that the update for the Spanish Grand Prix will be the “most important” of the season for RB.
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If all goes well, the updates could be worth “up to 2.5-tenths” on tracks like Barcelona and Silverstone.
Had RB gained this time in Canada, Tsunoda would have qualified 6th, and Ricciardo could have been on pole position.
While this seems unlikely, especially with other teams also making improvements, RB is well-placed this season and aims to close in on Aston Martin by the end of the upcoming triple-header.