Mercedes wants to return to a dominant role in F1 with the 2026 rule changes, and this season at the Brackley team is considered more of a… training phase, not only in preparing the young phenom Kimi Antonelli, the young Bolognese driver who is discovering the many facets of Grand Prix racing—from the difficulties at Imola with the throttle problem to the crash in qualifying in Monaco. In reality, the team with the Silver Star wants to win races as soon as possible, and Simone Resta, deputy team principal under James Allison, is trying to make it happen. The challenge is not easy: in Monaco, the W16s found themselves trailing (Russell suffered an electrical issue), but Mercedes wants to shine again soon.
The engineer, born in Faenza 54 years ago, was tasked with developing the W16. Mercedes has not had great success in the ground effect era (five wins in four years, after a period during the hybrid era when opponents were left with only crumbs), and the ambition is to resume a journey interrupted, although McLaren seems to be trying to break away.
Simone Resta’s story is interesting because it is marked by a thread connected to Ferrari: What a big difference is there between working at Maranello and working at Mercedes?
“I started at Minardi, the smallest team on the grid, then moved to Ferrari in 2001, which at the time was the biggest team. I worked 24 years as a Ferrari employee and was involved in various projects, mainly Ferrari’s F1 programs, but also the Alfa Romeo project and then Haas, which is currently the smallest structure.”
“Since October I have been at Mercedes, so I have experienced changes in team size and different challenges, moving from a full constructor making chassis and engine to others who are clients. Now I have started my adventure at Mercedes, a global constructor and power unit supplier for customers as well. I found a lot of passion and expertise in all these teams.”
“At Mercedes, honestly, I think I found the ideal environment that suits my characteristics well. There is a very open climate to different experiences and cultures, an international team open to gathering different inputs and opinions, and wanting to improve. I am sure I found a team where it is possible to do well by bringing ideas.”
What are your responsibilities as deputy technical director?
“First of all, my job is to be in close contact with James (Allison) and the entire technical group. James is the Technical Director, I am his deputy, and in some way, we divided tasks; he has the overall vision of the entire technical side and focuses mainly on the 2026 project, while I am dedicated to 2025, so more on short or medium-term things but also on strategic longer-term issues. I mean things beyond next year regarding skills development and technical infrastructure. It’s about adapting all work processes to the evolution of F1.”
Are you focusing on the W16 development, and when that work ends, will you move on to something else?
“I will focus more specifically on 2026, but I’m already doing that now and did in past months, thinking long term. I had a very intense period in February-March.”
To give a long-term idea: at Brackley, is it time to build a new wind tunnel?
“There is no need for a new wind tunnel, but if we want to update it to improve some aspects and make small modifications: this is a skill development I follow along with the head of aerodynamics. The same goes for the simulator, work methods, models, team organization, or hiring: these are aspects I follow with interest.”
You had a great relationship with James at Maranello, and now the duo has reunited at Mercedes?
“In such a big team, I don’t think you can say there’s a duo. We met in the early 2000s when I was working on Ferrari’s mechanical side and he was managing aerodynamics on track. Then we parted and reunited at the end of 2013 when he returned to Ferrari as Technical Director, and I became a designer. I have to say we worked well together. I think there is great mutual respect: he’s a great person and a great technician. It’s an honor to work with him, but I must say in general with the Brackley group, which is very strong and has a great atmosphere because we get along well.”
Next year you will have a big responsibility: the Mercedes engine is said by everyone to be the most competitive power unit under the 2026 regulations…
“I wonder: how do all these people who talk know this? Because in Formula 1, the only thing that counts is the track. There are engines running only on the bench and all different benches. It will surely be interesting; we will have customers like McLaren, who is doing very well, Alpine, and Williams. Clearly, we aim to win and therefore must manage to make that final leap in quality.”
“I’m happy that already this year we made a good step forward; in qualifying I think we are showing to be very competitive, and we need to find the right balance in race pace, especially in very hot conditions like Miami, Jeddah, or Imola.”
Is tire temperature control more about managing the brake discs or more mechanical?
“I think cooling the rims through air intakes is very important, but it’s not the only thing. There could be something mechanical and about pace management. Obviously, if you have three tenths advantage on pace, you can better manage conditions at high speeds and heat tires less. I believe there are several intertwined ingredients, and it’s not just one variable. But certainly, the brake discs are an important topic.”
At Imola, you brought a very interesting package: is it the base for the next step?
“It’s clear we are at the end of a regulatory cycle where finding big improvements becomes a bit harder as time goes by. But it’s like that for everyone. However, we brought a package with a new front wing, small changes in the air intake area, front suspension, and also chassis side modifications. We try to make progress, but it won’t be the last development because we are working on other things too.”
What are you preparing?
“We will try to bring more in Spain, clearly updating the wing to new checks, and then try to bring more performance to the car. We have several planned solutions and are still defining others to bring. Clearly, like all teams, we face a dilemma: 2025 sees us competitive but a bit behind in race pace, and 2026 will be crucial to bring us back ahead. So, I don’t hide that we must balance the two things, and maybe 2026 is gaining more importance compared to 2025.”
Is there a deadline on developments for the W16?
“I think from now until the summer break we will see what to do; we have an open approach. We still have months to work on the car.”
So until the Hungarian GP, it’s worth continuing to focus on 2025?
“I think yes, obviously with James and under Toto’s direction, we will always review things month by month to see if we are doing the right things. But fundamentally, this will be our approach, to push until summer.”
When will a victory be possible?
“Now comes Monaco, where overtaking is very difficult, then there will be other tracks. Meanwhile, we need to work on race pace, so we don’t hide. We want to win races this year, but it’s not easy. We’re trying with all our strength; we’ll see what we can do.”
The FIA rule change in Spain can change the values, as some say, or not?
“Clearly, all cars are different in balance and can have different requirements depending on speeds. When you reduce front downforce at high speed, maybe you want to fix instability or corner entry, but not all cars react the same because the final result depends on tire management, mechanics, and aerodynamics. And it all has to be put together. So it’s hard to give an indication on others without knowing their balance. I don’t think it’s a fundamentally big change, but it can have effects depending on the cars. I don’t expect major upheavals, but more second-order things to work on. I don’t expect to see a very different grid.”
The more direct question is if McLaren will pay a price for having a big advantage with a working package and not just the wing…
“I think everyone pushes the rules to the limit on certain aspects; some will be hit more or less, but I think these are second-order things. We will see; I’m curious too.”
Technical directors like Adrian Newey, until 4-5 months ago, said the 2026 cars would be terrible. Now he seems to have changed his mind and is curious. What is your take?
“First of all, the regulations have evolved a lot, and now I find them stable. I think it’s quite mature, although there are ongoing aerodynamic refinements, small things being defined, but fundamentally it is defined. This is positive. Since early January, all teams have been able to develop in the wind tunnel and CFD, seeing firsthand how these cars work: starting development has begun recovering lost downforce.”
So the simulations that each team did to collaborate with the FIA, trying to solve a problem, were not representative?
“No, they were true, but at first, the Federation, which has a group of good technicians but limited compared to team structures, defined steps in regulation development and asked teams to do some experiments. But once the teams started working with more resources, improvement accelerated.”
“I think the 2026 regulations are now stable, and combined with teams starting to understand the cars better, we will face one of the biggest changes in F1 history
You said “the biggest change in F1 history.” Why?
“Because the changes will be very deep. The cars will have ground effect sidepods, more internalized aero, and a different power unit; the tires will be bigger, the chassis wider and longer, with less external wing influence. This will be a revolution, and all this will change the way drivers work on the car, the performance, and race strategies.”
Will there be a very big difference between the current cars and the 2026 cars?
“Yes, a big one. We will see a perfect storm with many new elements combining, and the racing will be different. The cars will look different, drive differently, and teams will have to adapt.”
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