Mercedes considered developing a rotating rear wing similar to the concept introduced by Ferrari for the 2026 Formula 1 season, but ultimately decided that the reduction in drag did not sufficiently outweigh the loss of downforce and the cost of development. Deputy technical director Simone Resta has revealed that the team studied the solution more than a year ago, although he has not ruled out adopting it in the future.
The rotating rear wing has been one of the most significant aerodynamic innovations of the 2026 Formula 1 season. Ferrari was the first team to introduce the concept on track and subsequently use it throughout an entire race weekend. Red Bull followed with an even more extreme interpretation of an idea already considerably more advanced than the conventional opening of the upper rear-wing flap, while McLaren later adopted a similar approach.
Why rotating rear wings matter under the 2026 F1 regulations
Reducing aerodynamic drag on the straights provides an enormous advantage under the current Formula 1 regulations, particularly when a driver is attempting an overtake with Straight Mode activated.
For that reason, several teams have investigated alternative ways of improving aerodynamic efficiency. Alpine and Audi, for example, have not introduced fully rotating rear wings but have studied mechanisms designed to make the movable flap collapse into a lower-drag configuration.
Ferrari’s approach is particularly distinctive because the movable element rotates much further than a conventional flap. The aerodynamic principles behind Ferrari’s rotating SF-26 rear wing and its drag-reduction concept illustrate why this solution has attracted so much attention from rival teams.
Mercedes W17 has remained competitive without a rotating rear wing
Mercedes, despite producing the dominant car of the 2026 season, has never introduced an equivalent system. Its advantage from the combined chassis and power-unit package has been sufficiently large that it has not needed an additional aerodynamic mechanism to improve performance.
Although FIA measurements associated with the Additional Development and Upgrade Opportunities (ADUO) system have identified the Red Bull-Ford internal combustion engine as the strongest, the Mercedes power unit has enjoyed a substantial advantage over its rivals in energy deployment.
Electrical performance has been a particular strength of the power units developed at Brixworth. Mercedes established an important benchmark in this area from the opening race in Melbourne, demonstrating how effectively its hybrid system could deliver energy under the new regulations.
However, the W17’s competitiveness cannot be attributed solely to its power unit. Its chassis has often been underestimated, despite repeatedly proving to be among the best on the grid and, for long periods of the 2026 season, arguably the benchmark.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s remarkable victory in Monaco was a clear demonstration of that strength, as were Mercedes’ performances at other circuits where chassis qualities were more important than outright engine output. The extent of the car’s overall competitiveness has also been evident in the Mercedes W17’s dominant performances during Kimi Antonelli’s eight-win campaign.
Simone Resta reveals Mercedes considered the rotating wing a year ago
Returning to the rotating rear wing, Resta explained why Mercedes ultimately decided against producing its own version, despite considering the concept approximately three months before the W17 made its first appearance during the private shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
Speaking on Mercedes’ Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show podcast, the Italian engineer revealed that the idea had been under consideration for considerably longer than previously known.
“I’m probably going to say something that we haven’t revealed until now, but we had already considered this type of wing a little over a year ago,” admitted the Mercedes deputy technical director.
The team’s decision was influenced partly by the Formula 1 budget cap, but the most important factor was the relatively limited overall benefit Mercedes identified during its evaluation.
Lower drag comes with a downforce penalty in Straight Mode
There is no doubt that a rotating rear wing can reduce aerodynamic resistance more effectively. However, Mercedes concluded that the solution would also produce a loss of aerodynamic load whenever the system was activated.
Resta explained the technical compromise involved:
“We studied this concept quite thoroughly and, clearly, it offers an advantage in terms of reducing aerodynamic drag. However, it also involves a loss of downforce every time you use OpenSM.”
For Mercedes, the question was therefore not simply whether the system could increase straight-line efficiency. The engineers had to consider whether the additional drag reduction justified the accompanying loss of aerodynamic load and the resources required to design, manufacture and develop the components.
“It is a solution that we evaluated, but we never believed it represented the best overall compromise, so to speak, to justify an investment in terms of development and manufacturing the components.”
The distinction is important because the best aerodynamic configuration is not necessarily the one that produces the lowest drag. Under the 2026 regulations, the overall compromise between aerodynamic efficiency, downforce and power-unit performance remains central to extracting the maximum potential from a Formula 1 car.
Mercedes has not ruled out adopting the Ferrari-style concept
Although Resta explained why Mercedes decided not to pursue the rotating wing for the W17, he also made clear that the decision should not be interpreted as a permanent rejection of the technology.
“That does not mean that the same conclusion must remain valid forever: in the future, we could reconsider our point of view and our position.”
Mercedes intends to continue studying the solutions developed by its competitors and assessing whether any could provide a worthwhile performance improvement.
“Naturally, we remain humble and analyse all the available solutions, evaluating whether there is something interesting that we can adopt. We will therefore continue this iterative process of evaluation and development,” Resta concluded.
Why Ferrari and Red Bull power-unit progress could change Mercedes’ decision
One factor that could persuade Mercedes to reconsider the rotating rear wing is the development of rival power units.
If Ferrari and Red Bull-Ford succeed in increasing their engine performance and reducing the gap to Mercedes, the Brackley team could decide that further straight-line drag reduction would provide a more worthwhile advantage.
At present, Mercedes can rely on a highly competitive power-unit package, particularly in electrical energy deployment. That advantage reduces the immediate need to invest in a more complex rear-wing mechanism.
The calculation could change, however, if rivals continue closing the gap. Ferrari and Red Bull have already demonstrated that the rotating-wing concept can be developed in different directions, as illustrated by the technical differences between the Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren rotating rear-wing designs.
Mercedes is also facing wider questions about where to invest its remaining development resources, with Toto Wolff acknowledging the team’s position on W17 upgrades while identifying further untapped potential.
For now, the combination of a strong power unit, a competitive chassis and budget restrictions means Mercedes sees no compelling reason to introduce a rotating rear wing. But Resta’s comments leave open the possibility that the aerodynamic compromise could become more attractive as the competitive balance changes.
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