Mercedes debuted a “fascinating” new innovation that largely went under the radar on the final day of 2026 Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain.
On the final day of running at the Bahrain International Circuit, Mercedes revealed a new rear wing on its W17 challenger as the German manufacturer continues to push its 2026 development.
Ferrari grabbed most of the headlines by rolling out two novel developments across the final week in Bahrain. Mercedes also upgraded its 2026 challenger but was “largely overlooked”, according to F1 technical expert Sam Collins.
“Mercedes has been rather quietly getting on with its pre-season test programme in the garage and out on track, while I think it’s probably fair to say that things have been a little bit less quiet for Mercedes in the paddock and back at base,” Collins noted.
“A big upgrade package on the car was largely overlooked in the second test, but on the very final day of the test, the team introduced a new rear wing with new endplates and these fascinating little extensions on the upper edge of the wing.
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“This is sure to be generating a lot of interest from the teams’ rivals. At first I thought these might just be sensor housings, but a closer look suggests they are indeed aerodynamic parts, and that’s fascinating. I wonder if they took inspiration from an early long-tailed Porsche 917.
“The flaps aren’t individually moveable but still, this is a really interesting area to keep an eye on.”
Mercedes quietly dropped a new rear wing design
Mercedes’ unique approach to front wing
Mercedes has also opted for a unique front wing design, which features just one moveable flap on each side of the mounting location.
This is a completely different interpretation of the 2026 F1 rules, with only Aston Martin opting to go down the same path.
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“The 2026 technical regulations allow for the front wing elements to be movable for the first time since 2009 as part of the active aerodynamic system,” Collins explained.
“Rules allow for the two most rear-most elements of the front wing to be adjustable, but some teams like Mercedes have only opted to move the rear-most element of the wing and instead mount the nose to the middle element of the wing, rather than the leading edge, which is more popular up and down the pitlane.
“It’s entirely allowed to do this, and some teams like Mercedes and Aston Martin have opted for, I guess for aerodynamic reasons, to just move the rear element, but it’s still not clear what the best solution is.”
A closer look at the Mercedes front wing detail
Mercedes has been tipped as the team to beat heading into the 2026 season, with George Russell the bookies’ favourite to win his maiden world championship.
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Rivals suspect Mercedes still has significant pace to unleash at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix on 8 March.
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