Unique FIA rule dominates crucial F1 battleground

Seven of the 11 F1 teams have brought Monaco Grand Prix-specific upgrades to the Principality as a result of the FIA banning active aerodynamics for the round.

The official updates disclosure document from the motorsport governing body has confirmed that McLaren, Mercedes, Red Bull, Racing Bulls, Haas, Audi and Alpine have all introduced revised rear wings for the weekend in Monte Carlo.

Straight-line mode has been disabled for the event due to the tight and twisty nature of the street circuit and the subsequent lack of appropriate sections.

Therefore, the actuators on the front and rear wings are redundant, meaning they will add pointless weight to the cars and hinder aerodynamic flow.

To remedy this, the seven aforementioned teams have taken the opportunity to alter their rear wings to provide more downforce, which is critical in Monaco, and/or reduce weight.

The front wing is less of an issue, but Audi has removed the actuators to "reduce any unnecessary blockage" on that element of the R26, nonetheless.

When the cars were first seen on Thursday, Mercedes and Red Bull's designs immediately stood out, and McLaren has also drawn attention on a weekend in which the reigning constructors' champion has continued its development assault with a barrage of new upgrades.

Only the updated engine cover and rear wing are track-specific among the six listed changes, with revisions to the front suspension and diffuser aimed at improving the suitability of those components, given the particular idiosyncrasies of the Circuit de Monaco.

Additionally, the beam wing and rear corner on the MCL40 have received an upgrade.

The only change at Mercedes is the previously mentioned rear wing, but Red Bull has introduced a Monaco-spec front corner and engine cover.

Ferrari, conspicuously, is the only leading team without a rear wing change for the round, but there are other updates for the weekend in the European city-state — to the front suspension, floor body, and diffuser.

The rest of the field

Williams is the second of four teams to not have altered its rear wing, instead focusing on a front suspension update for Monaco, with the need for a shorter wheelbase, and an upgrade to the exhaust tailpipe of the FW48.

Racing Bulls has ported a track-specific front suspension tweak to the VCARB 03, along with its own amended rear wing.

Aston Martin, meanwhile, has made a similar change to the former component. However, it is the third team not to follow the lead taken on the latter. Additionally, the Silverstone squad has devised new cooling louvres and updated the exhaust tailpipe bracket on the AMR26.

Haas will also use a revised front suspension to address the particular steering angle demands in Monaco, and there is also an improvement to the rear impact structure to aid performance.

Audi has updated the mirror design on its car and redesigned the roll hoop and engine cover to "efficiently increase" its cooling options.

Alpine, like Mercedes, has only made changes to the rear wing on the A526, whilst newcomer Cadillac is the fourth and final team not to bring a Monaco-specific rear wing.

Instead, the fledgling American squad has introduced a more general development to that area of the MAC-26, as well as a revised exhaust tailpipe.