McLaren is the team that has introduced the most developments among the four top teams since the Chinese GP. But it is not the one that would have spent the most: an estimate of development budgets places Aston Martin at the top.
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The development war is in full swing in Formula 1. With a still young 2026 regulation and narrowing gaps, every development can now weigh heavily in the fight for the title. But not all teams have spent their resources in the same way.
Based on the new parts declared by F1 teams in documents released by the FIA and estimates taking into account their importance and cost, The Race has attempted to establish a hierarchy of expenses incurred since the start of the season. A necessarily approximate ranking — the real cost of parts remaining confidential — but revealing of different strategies.
McLaren ahead of Ferrari and Red Bull in number of developments
The number of parts introduced alone does not allow measuring the financial effort made. According to our own count of developments declared by the four top teams since the Chinese Grand Prix, McLaren is the most active with 35 new parts, ahead of Ferrari and Red Bull, tied with 34, while Mercedes counts only 21.
| Team | Declared Developments* |
|---|---|
| McLaren | 35 |
| Ferrari | 34 |
| Red Bull | 34 |
| Mercedes | 21 |
*F1i count of components declared by teams from China to the Netherlands inclusive.
These figures deliberately do not distinguish modifications according to the reason given by the F1 teams. A part officially introduced for reliability reasons can also have an impact on performance: each declared component is therefore counted.
Aston Martin would however be the one that spent the most
Because not all new parts obviously cost the same. Designing and producing a new floor or, even more so, a new chassis represents a much greater investment than modifying a small aerodynamic appendage.
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By weighting developments according to their scale, The Race thus estimates that Aston Martin, which declared 34 developments, would be the team that spent the most to develop its car in 2026. Its impressive package introduced in Hungary, including notably a new lighter chassis, strongly contributes to this first place.
| Team | Estimated Expenses* |
|---|---|
| Aston Martin | 100 % |
| Ferrari | 90 % |
| Red Bull | 90 % |
| McLaren | 85 % |
| Audi / Alpine | 70 % |
| Racing Bulls | 60 % |
| Mercedes | 55 % |
| Haas / Cadillac / Williams | 50 % |
*Relative estimate by The Race, Aston Martin serving as reference at 100%.
The Mercedes F1 case intrigues
Mercedes’ position is the most surprising. Toto Wolff recently stated that his team simply “did not have the money” necessary to multiply developments.
Our count confirms in any case Brackley’s relative caution: with 21 developments since China, against 35 for McLaren, Mercedes has significantly modified its car less than its three main rivals.
Andrew Shovlin also acknowledged that the team would probably produce, over the whole season, one less floor and one less bodywork package than its rivals. A major development is however expected in early October and could change the situation.
In a season where the budget cap forces teams to arbitrate every expense, the technical battle is therefore no longer only played in the design offices. Developing a lot does not necessarily mean spending the most — and, in this little game, Aston Martin would so far have made the greatest financial effort.