Mercedes closed the ground-effect era by securing second place in the Constructors’ Championship, reaping the benefits of a development program that extended well into September. The Brackley team worked across multiple areas, from the floor to the front wing, and even on thermal isolation of the tires from the brake system. However, the main weak point remained the rear suspension, revised in Imola and ultimately rejected before the summer break.
Floor evolution
The first updates to the W16 arrived relatively late, only by mid-May at the Imola round. Mercedes arrived in Emilia-Romagna with a substantial upgrade package affecting the front wing, rear suspension, engine cover, and front suspension arm fairings. It took another two weeks before the first floor modifications appeared at the Spanish Grand Prix. The Barcelona specification featured an extended sidepod ramp and a notably long rear diffuser, with Mercedes prioritizing central aerodynamic downforce over other areas.
The team continued refining the floor, bringing further small updates to Montreal, where George Russell claimed victory. Mercedes aimed to shift aerodynamic balance slightly forward, mitigating the understeer tendencies of a car that had been stable early in the season but sometimes difficult to rotate into corners. Unlike McLaren and Ferrari, Mercedes did not pause development during the summer break, arriving in Monza with a third floor update. These improvements helped the W16 maintain competitiveness, contributing to the late-season push that secured second in the championship.
Rear suspension
Mercedes’ development path was not entirely smooth, facing some mechanical setbacks. At Imola, the team introduced a revised rear suspension, lowering the upper triangle’s leading arm to better stabilize the aerodynamic platform during acceleration and braking. However, initial testing revealed issues, prompting the team to return the parts to Brackley for further analysis and setup adjustments.
The Imola rear suspension returned in Barcelona, but circumstances prevented a full understanding of its effects. In Austria, setup experiments aimed to reduce rear tire overheating, while rain impacted Silverstone and Spa weekends. Over time, Mercedes recognized that the new suspension caused stability issues, mitigated by Russell’s experience but exacerbated by Antonelli’s aggressive corner entry style. In Budapest, the team reverted to the original rear suspension, definitively rejecting the Imola updates.
Front wing
Mercedes also focused heavily on front-end aerodynamics. At Imola, a new front wing debuted to comply with FIA deformation tests that would be introduced two races later in Barcelona, with geometry changes to match updates to the front suspension arm fairings. The front wing underwent further evolution at Spa, followed by iterative adjustments to the upper flaps at Monza, Baku, and Singapore to suit different track types. Rumors suggest Mercedes worked on carbon fiber lamination to regain flexibility lost under Barcelona’s technical directive, though this has never been officially confirmed.
Brake cooling
The Brackley team remained highly active in brake duct development, continuing work from previous seasons. Mercedes introduced upgrades to the front brake ducts in Canada and Austria, aiming to improve both aerodynamic efficiency and heat management for tire temperature control.
Rear brake ducts were also modified, invisible externally but confirmed by trackside engineering chief Andrew Shovlin after Singapore: “We tried to isolate the tires from the heat of the brake baskets, adding cooling elements around them. It was a gradual process, like all teams do.” Overall, seasonal development did not completely close the technical gap to McLaren, but it was undoubtedly a key factor in securing second place.
Mercedes W16 development timeline
- Miami: rear wing flap
- Imola: front suspension arm fairings, front wing, engine cover, new rear suspension
- Spain: floor, rear wing
- Canada: floor, enlarged front brake ducts
- Austria: front brake ducts, engine cover cooling outlets
- Spa: front wing, rear wheel group aerodynamics
- Monza: floor, front wing flaps, rear wing endplates
- Baku: front wing flaps
- Singapore: front wing flaps
- Austin: rear wheel group flaps
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