F1 | Cadillac and Mercedes use wool tufts to analyze 2026 aero flows. Cadillac and Mercedes return to the classic method of using wool tufts.

The 2026 F1 cars have hit the track again with a classic tool: wool tufts. It may sound like a curious detail, but both Cadillac and Mercedes, alongside their usual high-tech measurement instruments, have attached small wool threads to the front sections of their cars to study airflow in one of the most critical areas under the new regulations.

New year, new rules, but old methods still matter
Even with a brand-new set of regulations, sometimes the simplest solutions remain highly effective. To study the updated aerodynamics of the 2026 cars, both Cadillac and Mercedes have relied not only on cameras and advanced sensors but also on a traditional method that is still relevant today: wool tufts. These small threads allow engineers to visualize airflow directly as it interacts with key areas of the car.

On the Cadillac, whose official name will only be revealed in February during the livery launch coinciding with the Super Bowl, the wool threads are anchored to the nose support. On the Mercedes W17, however, the tufts are positioned to analyze airflow impact on the third flap of the front wing—the one capable of moving thanks to the new active aerodynamics system.

This almost “handcrafted” approach gives engineers real-time feedback on the direction of airflow, especially through corners, and helps detect any instabilities that require further analysis. While it might seem simple compared to digital wind tunnels and computational fluid dynamics simulations, it provides immediate, tangible insights that can be difficult to capture otherwise.

In Mercedes’ case, the primary goal is to study the effect of airflow on an area of the car that will play a pivotal role throughout the season, particularly given the novelty of front active aerodynamics under the 2026 rules. A crucial detail to note is that the second element of the wing remains fixed, secured to the nose support pylons, without freedom of movement.

It’s fascinating how, in such a hyper-technological era and at the start of a technical revolution still full of unknowns, teams still rely on simple, almost artisanal solutions to understand airflow behavior. This exemplifies one of the most authentic aspects of Formula 1: before trusting the numbers, engineers trust what they can directly see in action.