Pit Trace

PIT WALL ONLINE · R20 DOCS INDEXED

2026 · ROUND 18
permanent

United States Grand Prix

Circuit of the Americas

Sun, 25 Oct 2026

Demand
Downforcehighbased on 2025Brakingmedbased on 2025Tractionhighbased on 2025Tyrehighbased on 2025Coolinghighbased on 2025

From published FIA documents: car presentation submissions, PU elements used per driver, PU grid decisions (B8.2.8), parc fermé changes and start penalty decisions.

Confirmed FIA car-presentation upgrades for this weekend: 20 upgrades. Those upgrades come from 7 teams. Ferrari and Racing Bulls have the most upgrades (4 each). Also confirmed for this weekend: 4 PU grid penalties (allocation grid-place penalties), 1 start penalty (pit-lane / technical start sanctions) and 8 parc fermé changes (locked-car swaps). Latest FIA update: 3 November 2026.

The United States Grand Prix has 20 confirmed FIA car-presentation upgrades from 7 teams, with 4 PU grid penalties, 8 parc fermé changes and 1 start penalty. Ferrari and Racing Bulls have the most upgrades (4 each).

Grid penalties and power unit changes

PU grid

  • Bortoleto, 20 place grid drop under B8.2.8, 4th ES, 4th CE (Doc 15)
  • Bortoleto, 60 place grid drop under B8.2.8, 5th ICE, 5th TC, 5th EX, 5th ES, 5th CE, 4th MGU-K, 7th ANC (Doc 35)
  • Colapinto, 10 place grid drop under B8.2.8, 4th CE (Doc 14)
  • Lindblad, 5 place grid drop under B8.2.8, 6th ICE (Doc 19)

Start

  • Stroll, pit lane start (Doc 48)

19 new PU elements this weekend.

Inferred

  • Bortoleto, Over limit +60
  • Colapinto, Inferred +10
  • Lindblad, Inferred +5
  • Stroll, Over limit +25

Upgrades

20

PU Changes

19

Parc Fermé

8

Start

1

PU grid

4

Teams Active

10

Most Active

FER

4 upgrades

Top categories:Aero 19Cooling 1

Race classification

Finishing order from the FIA final classification, shown next to the upgrades each team listed for this weekend.

Results are context. They do not show whether any listed part worked.

Source: FIA Final Classification, Doc 57
TeamFinishUpgrades listed by the FIA
MercedesP1 and P8Upgrades listed by the FIA: 0
FerrariP2 and P4Upgrades listed by the FIA: 4
Red Bull RacingP3 and P6Upgrades listed by the FIA: 2
McLarenP5 and P7Upgrades listed by the FIA: 3
Racing BullsP9 and P12Upgrades listed by the FIA: 4
AlpineP10 and DNFUpgrades listed by the FIA: 2
AudiP11 and P13Upgrades listed by the FIA: 3
HaasP14 and DNFUpgrades listed by the FIA: 0
Aston MartinP15 and P16Upgrades listed by the FIA: 0
WilliamsP17 and P18Upgrades listed by the FIA: 0
CadillacP19 and DNFUpgrades listed by the FIA: 2

DNF did not finish. DNS did not start. Not classified means the sheet gave no reason. DSQ disqualified. EXC excluded. WD withdrawn.

Team
Component
Type
Category
Status

Confirmed FIA upgrades: 20 upgrades from 7 teams

4 upgrades (5 parts)

DiffuserPerformanceLocal Load and Flow ConditioningRevisedConfirmed

Revised diffuser volume, expansion profile, fence loading and trailing edge outboard furniture

Benefitting from improved onset flow quality, the diffuser expansion and overall geometry has been further optimized, and returns increased aerodynamic load in an efficient way

Floor BodyPerformanceLocal Load and Flow ConditioningRevisedConfirmed

Updated board brace layout, redesigned front floor leading edge reshaping of both inboard vertical and top horizontal board elements

Key development features have focused on increasing floor downforce (on both front and rear parts) whilst also increasing energy levels and flow stability sent towards the back of the car

Shares this description with Floor Board.

Sidepod InletCoke/Engine CoverPerformanceLocal Load and Flow ConditioningConfirmed2 parts

Sidepod inlet additional lower volume, reshaped undercut and coke line volumes

AeroReported

Ferrari's most significant F1 aero upgrade of 2026 revealed

Covered by FIA

AeroReported

On top of this, Ferrari has a revised diffuser volume, with new fence loading and trailing edge outboard furniture.

Covered by FIA

Floor BoardPerformanceLocal Load and Flow ConditioningRevisedConfirmed

Updated board brace layout, redesigned front floor leading edge reshaping of both inboard vertical and top horizontal board elements

Key development features have focused on increasing floor downforce (on both front and rear parts) whilst also increasing energy levels and flow stability sent towards the back of the car

Shares this description with Floor Body.

4 upgrades

Arvid LindbladICENEW6th of 4Inferred +5Inferred +5
Rear WingPerformanceLocal LoadNewConfirmed

New flap elements The camber and chord of the rear wing flap elements has been modified to clean up the local flow and allow the wing to generate more load.

Front WingPerformanceFlow ConditioningNewConfirmed

New front wing endplate The front wing endplate plays an important role in managing the flow around the front tyres.

These updates further improve the management of the flow field downstream.

Coke/Engine CoverPerformanceFlow ConditioningRevisedConfirmed

Reprofiled shoulder and undercut Working in combination with the updates made to the floor, the changes to the engine cover help manage the flow as it passes around the side of the car and towards the rear.

Floor BodyPerformanceLocal LoadConfirmed

Multiple changes including leading edge devices, board and floor edge A combination of developments across a number of key floor components which improves the overall flow management around the floor.

This translates into an efficient downforce increase.

3 upgrades

Gabriel BortoletoPU AncillaryNEW7th of 6Inferred +10Over limit +60ExhaustNEW5th of 4Inferred +10Control ElectronicsNEW5th of 3Inferred +5Energy StoreNEW5th of 3Inferred +5ICENEW5th of 4Inferred +10TurbochargerNEW5th of 4Inferred +10MGU-KNEW4th of 3Inferred +10
Mirror StayPerformanceFlow ConditioningNewConfirmed

New Mirror Stay The updated mirror stay geometry complements the revised front corner configuration and supports the overall aerodynamic performance of the car package introduced lately.

Front CornerPerformanceFlow ConditioningNewConfirmed

New front brake duct The revised front brake duct provides updated cooling characteristics together with associated aerodynamic performance, complementing the latest development steps introduced.

FloorPerformanceFlow ConditioningNewConfirmed

New Floor Board The updated floorboard geometry is intended to improve local flow conditioning and support the overall aerodynamic performance of the floor assembly.

3 upgrades

Oscar PiastriPU AncillaryNEW5th of 6
Rear CornerPerformanceFlow ConditioningRevisedConfirmed

Updated Rear Corner Furniture The rear corner furniture has been revised to achieve an improvement in flow conditioning as well as increased local load.

DiffuserPerformanceFlow ConditioningNewConfirmed

New diffuser geometry The diffuser geometry has been modified aiming at an improvement of flow conditioning and local load across the speed range.

Front CornerPerformanceFlow ConditioningRevisedConfirmed

Revised Front Corner and Furniture The front corner scoop and furniture have been revised in conjunction with the front suspension fairings aiming at improved flow conditioning.

2 upgrades

Franco ColapintoControl ElectronicsNEW4th of 3Inferred +10Inferred +10
Rear WingPerformanceLocal LoadRevisedConfirmed

Reprofiled rear wing flap The second and third element flap of the rear wing have been redesigned to improve rear wing flow quality and overall load delivery.

FloorPerformanceLocal LoadConfirmed

Redesigned rear floor corner The rear floor corner has been redesigned to improve the local flowfield interaction with the rear corner while also increasing local load.

2 upgrades

Sergio PérezExhaustNEW4th of 4
Valtteri BottasExhaustNEW4th of 4
Cooling LouvresPerformanceCooling RangeRevisedConfirmed

Updated Sidepod Top Deck Cooling Louvres The sidepod top deck louvres have been updated to increase the power unit cooling capacity, whilst minimising the effect on aerodynamic performance

Floor FencesPerformanceFlow ConditioningRevisedConfirmed

Updated Forward Floor Fence Geometry Revised geometry improves flow conditioning to the rear of the car and reduces sensitivity to changes in car attitude, whilst retaining overall aerodynamic load

Front CornerReliabilityRevisedConfirmed

Elastomeric gaitor profile revision

The periphery of the gaitor has been revised to reduce the likelihood of tearing the elastomeric material during running by reducing the strain in the regions of highest deflection when steering lock is applied.

Front WingPerformanceLocal LoadConfirmed

Additional vane on the endplate foot plate Taking the recently introduced front wing geometry, an option to operate with the tyre temperature turning vane has been added for evaluation, offering a tyre surface temperature measurement as well as more local load with similar flow stability.