Technical updates: 2026 Mexico City Grand Prix

Multiple teams have brought small additions to their 2026 machinery at the Mexico City Grand Prix, with a mix of circuit specific and overall performance developments.

The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez sits at 2,200 meters/7218 feet above sea level, making it the highest tack in terms of altitude by far on the current Formula 1 calendar. As a result, McLaren is running larger cooling louvers on its bodywork to cope with the specific power unit cooling challenges in Mexico City.

Red Bull has similarly updated its cooling exit louvers, but has also brought a performance step with revised sidepod and floor parts. The team says the update is “attached to existing sidepod geometry to improve the flow characteristics below the inlet to the radiator duct, gaining local load while maintaining stability.”

At Ferrari, it’s a cooling update that has been submitted for this weekend, with an enlarged rear bodywork exit introduced, as well as additional cooling louver panels on the top of the sidepod. The team concedes the trade-off in performance comes at the expense of car efficiency.

It’s a similar story at Racing Bulls, where the main cooling exit at the rear of the bodywork has been enlarged, while an additional forward cooling louver panel is available if required, should the team struggle with managing temperatures.

Audi (pictured above) has a performance update on the rear corner of its car, with a new rear brake duct deflector that increases aerodynamic load and improves overall aerodynamic performance.

The final new component introduced in Mexico City is at Alpine, where a reliability development involves a reprofiled exhaust tailpipe vane. Audi says the revision sees the tailpipe vane configuration trimmed to suit the track’s unique ambient and aerodynamic requirements.

Mercedes, Williams, Aston Martin, Haas and Cadillac are all running their previous car specifications in Mexico.