Mercedes front wing controversy: Nikolas Tombazis clarifies no intent or performance gain. FIA technical director Nick Tombazis explains the Mercedes front wing incident in China.

The FIA technical director, Nikolas Tombazis, has commented on the recent situation in China involving Mercedes’ front wing, explaining why it did not warrant further action by the stewards.

What the FIA technical director said

The build-up to the Japanese Grand Prix was stirred by the discussion around Mercedes’ front wing, which in China had displayed a double movement when closing, rather than a single, smooth action as required by the regulations. Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA’s technical director, wanted to clarify the analysis process carried out between the Federation and Mercedes after rival teams requested explanations.

“We are dealing with new regulations,” Nikolas Tombazis said in an interview with Sky. “There are several areas where it is natural for there to be a period of adaptation, and we have a consistent approach with all the teams. Essentially, when we are discussing minor irregularities, our approach is not to immediately take everyone to the stewards for judgment. The Mercedes wing had no performance effect and it was not a mechanism deliberately sought. It was a mechanical issue, similar to problems other teams have had. If we are confident there was no intent, we manage these situations together with the teams without resorting to the stewards, so as not to create precedents or major problems from something very minor.”

“Since it was something visible, everyone noticed it and there was some agitation,” Nikolas Tombazis added, “but it did not deserve all this emphasis. Why is it different from floor wear calculations? All teams know that when a parameter is not respected, we tend to issue a warning without consequences, and everyone appreciates this approach. However, if something is repeated, we are forced to go to the stewards. The floor wear issue, moreover, is a performance-related matter, especially with last year’s regulations where the closer the car was to the asphalt, the more performance it generated. The 2026 F1 cars are extremely complex, with regulations full of details that are discovered gradually. If we were absolutely strict about everything, every weekend we would have half the cars going to the stewards. We are absolutely convinced that in the case of the Mercedes wing, there was no need to go further.”

The FIA is prioritizing a “common sense” transition into the new era of Formula 1. Based on the content of Tombazis’ explanation, Kimi Antonelli and George Russell can continue their weekend at Suzuka without the shadow of a post-race disqualification looming over their front wing assembly.