The first Barcelona tests offered a clear glimpse of how different teams are interpreting active aerodynamics, with Audi and Alpine standing out for particularly distinctive rear-end solutions. On the rear wing of the four-ringed brand, the rotation pivot is positioned at the centre rather than on the leading or trailing edge of the flaps, causing the two movable elements to rotate in a completely different way compared to their rivals.
The 2026 regulations, while still operating within the limits imposed by the FIA, are clearly unleashing the imagination of engineers. Already in the opening Barcelona test sessions, very different design philosophies have emerged. One of the most significant revolutions concerns active aerodynamics, which has changed its role entirely: it is no longer a tool designed primarily to facilitate overtaking, but instead becomes an element to be exploited on every straight, regardless of track position.
This creativity is also evident in the field of active aerodynamics, where distinct philosophies can be seen from team to team. The geometry of the movable flaps changes, the number of wing elements allowed to move varies, and it is even possible that certain solutions will be alternated from race to race depending on the specific characteristics of each circuit.
There is, however, another aspect that the new regulations have brought into focus: the different ways in which teams open the rear wing. Until last season, the scope for interpretation was limited, and teams simply tried to exploit the maximum 85 millimetres permitted by the rules, lifting the leading edge via the actuator while the trailing edge remained fixed.
In practical terms, the pivot point around which rotation occurred was located at the rear of the movable flap, while the front section was the one that moved upward. With the 2026 rules, however, alternative interpretations have emerged. Alpine and Audi, in particular, have taken paths that clearly diverge from the rest of the grid.
While all the other teams have retained the traditional opening mechanism—where the trailing edge stays fixed and the leading edge is lifted, often rising higher than the outer endplate to maximise the opening and reduce drag on the straights—both Audi and Alpine have repositioned the pivot point around which the rotation takes place.
In Alpine’s case, as reported last week, the wing operates in the opposite way: it is the trailing edge that collapses while the leading edge remains fixed, effectively creating a sort of “extension” of the mainplane. Audi’s approach is even more intriguing, as the Hinwil engineers have opted for a solution that sits halfway between the two philosophies.
On the Audi R26, the pivot around which the two rear flaps rotate (highlighted in yellow in the image) is positioned exactly at the centre of the lateral supports (highlighted in red), which themselves remain fixed as required by the regulations.
As a result, the flaps on the R26 no longer remain almost horizontal, or only slightly inclined by a few degrees. Instead, in the open configuration they adopt a clearly oblique angle, with a smaller overall opening compared to rival solutions when the different concepts are directly compared.
This is a particularly curious solution, because flaps opening in an oblique manner also alter the direction in which airflow travels in that area of the car. The visual and aerodynamic effect is that the air appears to be almost “pushed” downward, precisely because of the strong inclination the flaps adopt during the opening phase.
While many teams use two actuator attachment points—one for each movable flap—to lift both elements simultaneously, Audi has chosen a different system. There is a single actuator connection linked to the first flap, while the second flap is “passive” and is pulled into motion by the small connecting supports that link the two profiles, rather than being directly actuated, as is the case on most other cars.
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