Only two teams have brought upgrades to the Qatar Grand Prix as Formula 1 enters the final two rounds of the season.
Qatar is the second of three consecutive race weekends and also a Sprint event that tends to limit the number of updates introduced. With just one practice session before Sprint qualifying later on Friday night, the majority of teams are sticking with their existing car designs, with the main development focus now on 2025.
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Alpine is one of the two teams to deliver new parts in Qatar, with a focus on the front end of the car. A new front wing features reprofiled elements that the team says are focused mainly inboard and “offers a better flow management as well as local load gains through the car operating envelope.”
There’s also a new nose from Alpine that is shorter than its previous design to work in conjunction with the new front wing, that features a detached first element that is no longer in contact with the nose.
The only other upgrade comes from Stake Sauber, and is also a front wing tweak. The team says it is a trimmed-down version of the current front wing design, that gives it a wider balance range that it can work within.