£807m-valued F1 team are the only outfit planning ‘another major upgrade’ for 2025 before upcoming rule change

Follow us on Google Discover

The field in Formula 1 is the closest it has been in its 75-year history after qualifying at the recent Hungarian GP showed each team separated by a tenth of a second.

It means the ability to drop out of qualifying early is much more likely for the top teams, hence the recent fluctuations from Lewis Hamilton and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, while those in the midfield stand a chance at a decent points haul.

Sauber have capitalised the most since introducing their final big upgrades of the season, with a podium for Nico Hulkenberg at the British Grand Prix and strong points finishes with Gabriel Bortoleto in Belgium and Hungary.

Racing Bulls also did the same early in their year with rookie driver Isack Hadjar, but it appears their rivals have brought better developments, while Williams have roughly retained their advantage at the top end of the midfield.

One team that has dropped significantly is Haas, which are now fighting for the scraps with Alpine in last place. Most teams have switched focus to 2026, but Haas are still following their usual upgrade cycle according to a report by AMuS.

Haas have ‘major upgrade’ planned for US GP

The £807m-valued Haas team are reportedly planning to introduce their last major upgrade of the season at the US Grand Prix, in a bid to increase their chances of a strong finish.

According to the report, the team has already run the upgrade through the wind tunnel and is now going through the simulation phase as it switches full focus to 2026.

With such jumps in performance compared to each team, only a few hundredths of a second could be the difference for Haas in their ambitions to finish higher up the order.

Chief designer Jonathan Heal said: “We only produce the parts if the time gain justifies the costs. A tenth would be enough.”

Oliver Bearman made some ‘stupid mistakes’ so far in 2025

It has been a mixed season for the rookie drivers so far, with Antonelli going from the highs of earning his first podium in Canada to the lows of the Belgian GP weekend. Antonelli spoke to Lewis Hamilton about his problems, in a bid to figure out how to improve and deliver what Mercedes want from him on track.

Haas have arguably one of the strongest lineups on the grid with Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman, but the latter has struggled to bring in the points.

He had the unwanted record of equalling the most places finished successively that aren’t first when he crossed the line in P11 at Spa Francorchamps.

Bearman has been noted for his ‘stupid mistakes’ after being penalised in Silverstone for a red flag infringement, having also incurred the same penalty at Monaco earlier in the season.