Haas introduced a revised front wing and nose design in Belgium, improving the VF-26’s drivability. However, Oliver Bearman believes much more development is needed to close the gap to the midfield leaders.

The latest Haas F1 upgrade delivered encouraging results during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. By introducing a revised front wing and nose assembly, the American team made the VF-26 easier to drive after struggling with balance and consistency in recent races.

Although the update represents a step forward, Haas acknowledges that much more development will be required to fight regularly for championship points.

Haas introduced a revised front wing and nose package during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend.The Haas F1 upgrade focuses primarily on the front of the VF-26.

Engineers introduced a redesigned front wing together with new nose mounting supports. Furthermore, the nose tip, flap mechanism and aerodynamic elements around the endplates were also revised.

These changes were designed to improve airflow around the front wheels while giving the car a more consistent aerodynamic platform throughout the lap.

Drivers Immediately Felt the Difference

Oliver Bearman noticed improvements as soon as the new package was evaluated.

During Friday practice, Haas completed several comparison runs to understand how the updated components behaved on track. As a result, the team confirmed that the VF-26 became easier to drive.

According to Bearman, the upgrade did not generate a significant increase in downforce. Instead, it expanded the car’s operating window and gave the drivers more confidence in different cornering conditions.

The updated package improved driver confidence without significantly increasing downforce.

Performance Gap Still Remains

Despite the positive progress, the Haas F1 upgrade has not solved every problem.

Bearman admitted the team remains behind several midfield rivals, including Racing Bulls and Alpine. Consequently, Haas still lacks the pace needed to score points consistently on pure performance.

The British driver described the Belgian package as only the beginning of a much longer development process.

More Updates Are Already Needed

Bearman believes Haas must continue developing the VF-26 aggressively.

According to the young driver, the current upgrade represents only a small improvement. Furthermore, he estimated the team needs four or five more updates of similar magnitude before it can regularly compete with the strongest midfield teams.

That assessment highlights how competitive the Formula 1 midfield has become during the 2026 season.

Oliver Bearman believes Haas still needs several major upgrades to challenge the midfield leaders.

Hungary Will Offer Another Important Test

The Hungarian Grand Prix will provide Haas with another opportunity to evaluate its latest developments.

The technical nature of the Hungaroring should reveal whether the revised aerodynamic package can continue improving the VF-26’s balance on a very different type of circuit.

Haas Continues Its Development Push

The latest Haas F1 upgrade has made the VF-26 more predictable and easier for its drivers to handle.

Overall, the revised front wing and nose package represent meaningful progress. However, Bearman’s comments make it clear that Haas still faces a considerable challenge before it can consistently fight Racing Bulls, Alpine and the rest of the competitive midfield.

Pirelli has confirmed the tire compounds for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix, highlighting thermal degradation, graining and evolving track conditions as key factors at the Hungaroring.

The Pirelli 2026 Hungarian GP tires have been confirmed ahead of Formula 1’s final race before the summer break. For the Hungaroring, Pirelli will bring the three softest compounds in its range, expecting tire management to play a decisive role throughout the weekend.

In addition, the tire supplier believes high temperatures and constant direction changes will create one of the toughest challenges of the season for drivers and engineers.

Pirelli will supply the C3, C4 and C5 compounds for the 2026 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Softest Tire Compounds Return to Hungary

The Pirelli 2026 Hungarian GP tires include the C3, C4 and C5 compounds.

During the race weekend, the C3 will serve as the hard tire, the C4 as the medium and the C5 as the soft compound. Furthermore, this selection matches the unique demands of the Hungaroring.

The circuit features slow corners, heavy braking zones and continuous changes of direction. Consequently, drivers need maximum stability under braking and strong traction when accelerating out of corners.

Track Surface Creates Additional Challenges

The Hungaroring presents different levels of grip across the lap.

Older sections of the circuit retain a rough asphalt surface, while Turns 1 and 12 feature newer pavement. As a result, teams will need to adapt to changing grip levels throughout the weekend.

Moreover, Pirelli expects one of the highest rates of track evolution on the Formula 1 calendar as more rubber is laid down during each session.

Changing grip levels and evolving track conditions will influence tire performance throughout the weekend.

Thermal Degradation and Graining Could Be Decisive

High temperatures remain one of the biggest concerns for the Pirelli 2026 Hungarian GP tires.

Thermal degradation is expected to affect the rear tires the most because they handle the majority of the traction loads. In addition, the soft C5 compound could experience graining if temperatures rise significantly.

Therefore, tire management will likely become one of the most important factors during Sunday’s race.

Strategy Could Depend on Weather Conditions

According to Pirelli, both one-stop and two-stop strategies could offer similar overall race times.

However, overtaking at the Hungaroring is traditionally difficult. Consequently, maintaining track position may become more valuable than choosing the theoretically fastest strategy.

If temperatures climb above expectations, teams could favor the harder compounds to reduce tire degradation during longer stints.

Teams could choose either one-stop or two-stop strategies depending on tire degradation and race conditions.

Post-Race Tire Testing Already Planned

Following the Hungarian Grand Prix, Pirelli will remain at the Hungaroring for additional testing.

Aston Martin, Audi and Alpine will participate in two days of development work focused on next season’s Formula 1 tires. These sessions will provide valuable data as Pirelli continues preparing its future tire compounds.

Pirelli Expects Tire Management to Shape the Race

The Pirelli 2026 Hungarian GP tires are expected to play a major role in determining the outcome of the race.

Overall, high temperatures, thermal degradation, graining and changing track conditions should create multiple strategic possibilities. As a result, effective tire management could prove just as important as outright pace during the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Cadillac will introduce a major brake upgrade at the Hungarian Grand Prix after overheating problems forced both of its cars to retire in Austria.

The Cadillac F1 brake upgrade will make its debut at the Hungarian Grand Prix as the American team looks to eliminate one of the biggest weaknesses affecting its rookie Formula 1 campaign.

Following costly brake failures in Austria, Cadillac has developed new components designed to improve cooling and reliability before Formula 1 arrives at the demanding Hungaroring circuit.

Cadillac will introduce a new brake package for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Austria Exposed a Major Weakness

The need for the Cadillac F1 brake upgrade became clear during the Austrian Grand Prix.

Both Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez retired within the opening laps after severe brake overheating triggered fires in the front braking system.

As a result, Cadillac immediately began working on a permanent solution to prevent similar failures during the remainder of the season.

Silverstone and Spa Bought More Development Time

Cadillac decided not to introduce major brake changes at either Silverstone or Spa-Francorchamps.

Those circuits place less stress on braking systems thanks to their long straights and higher average speeds. Consequently, the team focused on completing races while engineers finalized the upgraded package.

Meanwhile, development continued at the factory ahead of one of Formula 1’s toughest braking circuits.

The new brake package was developed after reliability issues surfaced in Austria.

Hungary Will Be the First Real Test

The Cadillac F1 brake upgrade is expected to play a crucial role at the Hungaroring.

The circuit features numerous heavy braking zones that generate high temperatures throughout a race. Therefore, improving brake cooling became a priority before the team arrived in Budapest.

According to Bottas, the new package is designed specifically to address the overheating issues experienced earlier this season.

Reliability Has Also Improved

Cadillac says it has solved another important issue.

The team has addressed the quality concerns affecting several components during the opening races of the championship. Furthermore, Bottas confirmed that those reliability problems have now been resolved.

The improvements should allow Cadillac to focus more attention on extracting performance during race weekends.

Cadillac expects the latest upgrades to improve reliability and brake performance.

Development Could Slow After Hungary

The Cadillac F1 brake upgrade may be one of the final major updates introduced this season.

According to Bottas, the team will soon shift much of its engineering effort toward developing its 2027 Formula 1 car. As a result, the current MAC-26 is expected to receive fewer upgrades during the remainder of the championship.

Cadillac Focuses on Long-Term Progress

The Cadillac F1 brake upgrade represents an important step in the team’s development as it continues its debut Formula 1 season.

Overall, solving the brake overheating issues should improve reliability and help Bottas and Pérez compete more consistently. At the same time, Cadillac is beginning to balance short-term improvements with preparations for its future Formula 1 program.