Ferrari introduce significant upgrades as Norris delivered Monza boost

Ferrari has introduced a significant upgrades package for this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, in a bid to get back in the fight for race victories. 

Team principal Frederic Vasseur revealed in Zandvoort last weekend that upgrades would be introduced for the outfit's home race in Monza, with changes having been made across the SF-24. 

The key upgrades include a new engine cover, floor and diffuser, with the emphasis on improving the losses travelling downstream. 

A new nose has also been introduced by Ferrari in Monza, designed to offer an improved flow quality downstream. Like Mercedes, Red Bull, Aston Martin, Williams, RB and Stake F1, Ferrari has also fitted a circuit-specific front and rear wings. 

As for McLaren, Alpine and Haas, the outfits have introduced a circuit-specific front wing only, with a rear wing likely already being in its pool. 

On the topic of McLaren, the Woking-based team has introduced a new engine cover as well for Monza. 

It was only in Zandvoort last weekend that McLaren fielded its largest upgrades package since Miami, which saw the British outfit defeat Red Bull comfortably. 

Its new engine cover, or coke, is designed to improve aerodynamic performance at the back of the MCL38.

With the exception of the, as mentioned, circuit-specific wings, Red Bull and Mercedes are not introducing further upgrades in Italy.

RB

In the midfield, RB is the lead team when it comes to Monza upgrades. Excluding the circuit-specific wings, the Faenza-based outfit has introduced a new floor. 

The new floor fitted to the RB VCARB 01 is designed to improve downforce generation and reduce losses as they travel downstream. 

On top of this, refinements to its halo shape have also been made, to improve airflow. 

It is an important weekend for RB in its second home race of the year, and one it famously claimed victory in quite recently in 2020, but also in 2008. 

Pierre Gasly claimed victory for the Red Bull sister team in 2020, whilst four-time world champion won the race in 2008 when the outfit was known as Toro Rosso. For both drivers it was their maiden victory in F1. 

Upgrades elsewhere

Elsewhere on the grid, Stake F1 is another team to have introduced a new floor in Monza. The Hinwil-based outfit sit last in the constructors' championship and are the only team yet to score a point.

Its new floor features a redesigned forward floor body, with the intention of increasing local load whilst maintaining the cleanliness of the flow as it reaches the rear of the car. 

A new diffuser has also been introduced by Stake F1, to improve flow conditioning. Specifically, the new diffuser has been designed to increase high energy flow into it. 

And finally, Haas has introduced new front suspension to its VF-24, which completes an upgrade it started to introduce in the Dutch GP. 

To complete its front suspension upgrade, a re-profiled lower wishbone and pushrod fairing has been fitted. 

The purpose of this is to allow the other suspension parts to be more compliant with air flow.