Mercedes has decided to surprise: the W16 features an extreme vertical radiator intake, almost closing off the horizontal airflow passage beneath the visor, reducing it to a small letterbox-like opening.
In the final year of ground-effect cars, the Brackley-based team has opted for another radical sidepod concept in an attempt to regain the dominance lost since 2021. Technical director James Allison also benefited from the contribution of Simone Resta, the former Ferrari engineer who joined Mercedes in October. While awaiting his full involvement in the 2026 project, Simone Resta played a role in shaping the W16.
This Mercedes will spark discussion for two key reasons: its unprecedented sidepod design and its front wing. These two elements are integrated into a car that remains largely familiar in other aspects. The fourth-place finish in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship was highly disappointing, despite four race wins split between George Russell and Lewis Hamilton. The W15 was highly inconsistent—blisteringly fast on some tracks and struggling immensely on others, suffering from a very narrow tire operating window. The general feeling is that the black-and-silver car never fully realized its wind tunnel potential.
The 198-point gap to McLaren, a customer team using the same engine, highlights a fundamental issue that was not fully understood. The W15 was highly sensitive to wind and struggled with the return of porpoising, the high-speed bouncing effect that undermines driver confidence and accelerates tire degradation. The W16 aims to be more agile in slow corners, following a trend also pursued by rival teams.
Brackley is confident they have found a reasonable balance to allow George Russell and a rookie, young Kimi Antonelli, to approach the season with optimism.
From the images released online, the W16 displays a distinct personality that sets it apart from the other cars revealed so far (only the Red Bull RB21 remains under wraps among the top teams). The radiator intake is divided: the vertical opening is the largest seen so far, spanning from the floor to the top. The horizontal intake, cleverly concealed in carefully selected angles, is reduced to a minimal, curved opening, giving the impression that the traditional intake has effectively disappeared.
The result is an extreme undercut beneath the sidepods, aimed at directing a large airflow onto the floor. From a side view, a ramp follows a consistently curved line down to the floor step.
Another break from the recent past is the front wing, which adopts a radical interpretation of concepts tentatively introduced in 2024 and now pushed to the extreme. These solutions will certainly be scrutinized during the three days of testing in Sakhir.
The nose design breaks tradition by extending onto the small spoon-shaped section of the main profile rather than resting on the second element. The nearly pointed tip shows a reduced cross-section at the top, suggesting significant efforts were made to pass FIA crash tests—Mercedes had previously failed a crash test in December while trying to minimize carbon fiber layers and reduce weight.
The main profile is extremely short in chord length, featuring a prominent gap with the second element. Interestingly, this spacing is also visible where the wing meets the endplate, allowing the outwash effect to begin much earlier than in rival designs.
The second flap has the largest surface area, supported by three metal struts reinforcing the main profile. Near the endplate, a significant airflow passage is created by the curled design of the final two flaps, which merge with small horizontal flow deflectors protruding inward. This setup improves the efficiency of the airflow around the front wheels.
The front suspension is new. Those expecting a switch to a pull-rod system may be disappointed—Mercedes has stuck with a push-rod layout but modified the attachment points. The strut now mounts higher on the chassis, while the upper wishbone likely connects the two upper arms, following Red Bull’s concept.
The flow diverters extend forward of the Venturi channel inlets but never exceed the height of the tunnel shaped by the floor.
The rear end remains largely conventional, as the power unit, gearbox, and suspension are carryovers from last year. The well-known push-rod layout remains, with suspension arm covers aligned with the new sidepod design. The exhaust “bazooka” retains last year’s configuration, with prominent cooling louvres extending from the sides down towards the sidepod undercut.
The airbox maintains its established design, featuring two ear-shaped inlets on either side of the triangular roll hoop, used for cooling the auxiliary radiators and gearbox. The engine cover has a pronounced vertical fin at the highest point.
The rear wing is a medium-downforce configuration, featuring a spoon-shaped main profile and a heavily loaded DRS flap, supported by two sculpted side pillars designed to reduce drag and enhance top speed.
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