{"id":769889,"date":"2026-06-29T23:48:20","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T23:48:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/769889\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T23:48:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T23:48:20","slug":"f1-austria-notebook-mclaren-aston-martin-and-audi-face-big-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/769889\/","title":{"rendered":"F1 Austria Notebook: McLaren, Aston Martin and Audi Face Big Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"

McLaren\u2019s new wing stays in the garage, Aston Martin-Honda remain in a holding pattern, and Pierre Gasly\u2019s run comes to an end. Autoweek rounds up some of the other talking points from the Austrian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n

McLaren scraps test of new rear wing<\/p>\n

McLaren introduced an experimental \u201cmacarena\u201d rear wing for its MCL40, similar to the one pioneered by Ferrari pre-season, but it never ran. The intention was for the rear wing to be trialed during free practice, and then removed for the remainder of the weekend, but it never made it that for. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe team at the factory worked tirelessly to get it here, but during final sign-off tests in the garage, it didn\u2019t perform as expected, and we weren\u2019t comfortable running it,\u201d said McLaren\u2019s Applied Technical Director Neil Houldey. \u201cThe correct decision was to focus our track time on optimizing the current package for this weekend. It\u2019s disappointing, but we will conduct more work on the component before bringing it to a future event.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of McLaren\u2019s strengths in the ground effect era was its strong correlation and in-season development but that has not been as potent in 2026. It had a so-so grand prix in Austria, with Oscar Piastri fourth and Lando Norris seventh.<\/p>\n

\"f1Clive Mason\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

A view of Oscar Piastri\u2019s rear wing from the Japanese Grand Prix earlier this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have a specific area of weakness; we just need more overall performance and grip to take that next step,\u201d Piastri said. <\/p>\n

Honda not expecting miracles from engine<\/p>\n

Honda says it cannot expect \u2018miracles\u2019 whenever it decides to bring its engine update in 2026. Honda is permitted two development updates through the FIA\u2019s ADUO system but is concentrating its efforts on one larger upgrade, having struggled with Aston Martin so far this year. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a long list to complete,\u201d said Honda\u2019s Chief Engineer Shintaro Orihara. \u201cIt\u2019s not a small step but not a miracle, we are working hard to bring reasonable steps.\u201d<\/p>\n

Honda has not yet determined whether it can ready its update prior to the summer recess, with the last event before the break being the Hungarian GP on July 25-27. <\/p>\n

Aston Martin has adopted a similar stance by not bringing any major aero updates this season as it concentrates its efforts and resources on a large update package. It took remains TBC on when that will come for the AMR26 but it will not necessarily come in tandem with the updated engine. <\/p>\n

\"f1Rudy Carezzevoli\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso on track at the F1 Grand Prix of Austria.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone is flat out, we want to get the maximum out,\u201d said Chief Trackside Engineer Mike Krack. \u201cWe want to push the deadline as much as we can, we will bring it when we are ready. We need to be patient, stick to our strategy, and maximize the learnings from the weeks we have until then.\u201d<\/p>\n

The developments are likely to have an influence on Fernando Alonso\u2019s future, with the two-time champion expected to make a call on his 2027 plans shortly after the summer recess. <\/p>\n

Bortoleto suggests Audi\u2019s chassis is front-running<\/p>\n

Audi has scored just two points this year and has been entrenched in the midfield, often compromised by reliability, while finding different ways to squander prospective top 10 finishes. But it has broadly been a solid enough first campaign under the Audi marque, considering it is the company\u2019s first crack at a power unit in Formula 1. However, Gabriel Bortoleto reckons then job the chassis department\u2014which is the Sauber facility\u2014has done has flown under the radar.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think if we had the same top speed as Mercedes or Red Bull we\u2019d be fighting for the top three, you guys have access to GPS data, you can compare the corners in Q2, we are very quick in basically all the corners, we miss a lot in the straights,\u201d Bortoleto said. \u201cDon\u2019t get me wrong we still need to improve our car, but we have been doing it, and we could easily be fighting there, we lose massively on the straights unfortunately, but that\u2019s the reality now.\u201d <\/p>\n

In a race with surprisingly few retirements, Audi once more missed out on the points, taking 11th and 12th, but it was comfortably the second-best midfield team in race trim, clear of Alpine and Haas. <\/p>\n

Gasly\u2019s run at an end<\/p>\n

Only two drivers had scored points across each of the opening seven grands prix: Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly. Hamilton finished a relatively quiet fifth for Ferrari but Gasly was outside of the points in 13th position, ending his run.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere’s quite a lot for us to understand after that race which was probably the toughest of the season,\u201d Gasly said.<\/p>\n

\"autoANDREJ ISAKOVIC\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Pierre Gasly.<\/p>\n

Both drivers had poor starts, with Franco Colapinto plunging down the order, but overall the A526 lacked pace around the Styrian hills.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven in free air, we didn\u2019t have the pace and had a lot of degradation,\u201d Gasly said. \u201cWe were good on Sunday in Barcelona, and it was really warm there, so I was optimistic that would play in our favor compared to the Racing Bulls, but that wasn\u2019t the case so there\u2019s a lot for us to work on.\u201d <\/p>\n

A low ebb for Williams<\/p>\n

Williams has regressed in 2026 and after a woeful Barcelona came a relatively anonymous Austria. The only noteworthy aspects of Williams\u2019 race came when Carlos Sainz caused one VSC when he stopped due to an electrical failure, and Alex Albon the other when he wiped out the bollard at the exit of turn 3. <\/p>\n

Sainz quipped that \u201cwe are nowhere this weekend\u201d after qualifying, with the overweight FW48\u2019s weaknesses accentuated around the short and compact Red Bull Ring.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe car\u2019s so on the edge every lap,\u201d Albon said. \u201cI expected a lot more from this weekend. We\u2019ve realised we\u2019re a bit draggy as well, so we\u2019re draggy and slow in the high-speed corners, a consistent trend this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

A small update is expected to assist matters at Silverstone but a more substantial upgrade, which is expected to tackle the weight issue, is not anticipated to be ready until Azerbaijan in September.<\/p>\n

\"f1Peter Fox\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Alex Albon.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve seen things we\u2019ve done in races, unless there\u2019s reliability issues [ahead] we don\u2019t get points,\u201d Albon said. \u201cUntil Baku we\u2019re just out there getting an idea of what we can influence for the rest of the year and into next year even. I\u2019ve been in this position before with the team, when you\u2019re on the back foot from the start of the season, it snowballs during the season as well, you look at the upgrades the top teams have, how consistent they are at upgrading their cars, we\u2019re not at that level yet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Fornaroli in contention at Haas<\/p>\n

Reigning Formula 2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli has emerged as a potential candidate for Haas in 2027, if the team elects to make a driver change. Fornaroli followed up the Formula 3 title in 2024 with last year\u2019s Formula 2 crown, and joined McLaren as a test and reserve driver. The Italian has impressed McLaren with his pace and aptitude during private test runs, and made his FP1 debut in Spain recently. <\/p>\n

\"f1Kym Illman\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Leonardo Fornaroli.<\/p>\n

There is no room at the inn at McLaren short-term, and McLaren gave Fornaroli permission to take part in a TPC [Testing of Previous Cars] test with Haas at Jerez, alongside Haas reserve Ryo Hirakawa. The Toyota-backed World Endurance Championship racer has been linked with Haas for a couple of years and has also caught the eye with his displays. With Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton expected to be at Ferrari in 2027 that raises the likelihood of Ferrari-backed Oliver Bearman sticking with Haas for another season, locking down one seat, but Esteban Ocon\u2019s place is less secure. Ocon and boss Ayao Komatsu in Canada in May angrily rejected suggestions that his seat was at risk in-season, while on Thursday Komatsu insisted that the priority remains on its current two drivers. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe main purpose of our TPC program is to provide opportunity for young drivers, Leo is reigning F2 champion, he\u2019s an incredible driver, he\u2019s been under a good training program at McLaren, it\u2019s a good chance for us to look at him,\u201d Komatsu said. <\/p>\n

Ocon, accustomed to such speculation given his 10-year Formula 1 career, shrugged off the noise.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m chill\u201d, he said. On my side I\u2019m trying to do the best we can, focus on the right things. People can say whatever the fuck they want to be honest. I don\u2019t give a shit too much. I\u2019m just wanting to do a good job for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

A grim weekend for Herta\"formulaClive Mason\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Colton Herta retires from the race at the Formula 2 Championship race at the Red Bull Ring.<\/p>\n

Learning about Formula 1, integrating with Cadillac, and understanding a new landscape are all high on the priority list for Colton Herta through 2026. Consequently, the actual results in Formula 2 are not as important as for an unproven youngster trying to make a name for themselves. But Austria was a bleak weekend for the American. Herta qualified only 20th of the 22 competitors, retired from the Sprint Race due to an electrical issue, and was the final of the 19 classified runners as the checkered flag, before being promoted one spot due to a sanction elsewhere. A pointless weekend, only his second of the season, leaves Herta down in 15th place in the championship. <\/p>\n

Red Bull junior Nikola Tsolov continued to stake his claim to a 2027 seat at Racing Bulls with a fine display during the Feature Race, taking his fourth win of the season. Alpine junior Gabriele Mini continues to lead the standings owing to his superior consistency\u2014he has won just once this year\u2014but his advantage over Tsolov is only two points. <\/p>\n

\"Lettermark\"<\/p>\n

U.K.-based Phillip Horton started covering Grands Prix while still at university and swiftly deemed that writing about Formula 1 and the behind-the-scenes machinations was much more engaging than reading centuries-old novels. Degree gained, he went on to cover the sport full-time from 2014 and is as intrigued and excited by the destinations Formula 1 visits during its lengthy annual world tour as the racing itself. Phillip joined Autoweek in 2021 and while he has just about learned to spell in American English he has yet to find anywhere in America that makes a proper cup of tea.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"McLaren\u2019s new wing stays in the garage, Aston Martin-Honda remain in a holding pattern, and Pierre Gasly\u2019s run…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":769890,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[441],"tags":[49,48,782,273393,784,578,576,577,237154,1642,273392,82,184740],"class_list":["post-769889","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-formula-1","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-content-type-news","tag-contentid-e10c07f5-50f0-4ec5-813f-45f3efa26f9f","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-f1","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-us","tag-shorttitle-mclarens-latest-f1-upgrade-fails-before-it-starts","tag-sports","tag-subsection-formula-one"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/769889","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=769889"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/769889\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/769890"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=769889"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=769889"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=769889"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}