Red Bull and Mercedes innovations shake up F1 and challenge Ferrari. Mercedes and Red Bull have gained unexpected momentum in F1.

Mercedes and Red Bull resurgence catches Ferrari and FIA off guard?

As the 2026 regulations approach, it was almost assumed that teams would shift their focus to next year’s cars. This was further encouraged by the fact that the Constructors’ Championship was essentially secured by McLaren over the summer, and the drivers’ title appeared to be a contest mainly between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. However, the recent form of Red Bull and, to some extent, Mercedes has certainly captured the attention of insiders and fans alike.

The upgrades brought to the RB21’s floor, rear corners, and front wing contributed to impressive performances in Monza and Baku, as well as a strong showing in Singapore. Mercedes also secured its second victory of the season at the Marina Bay circuit. The conditions of that race were unusual, with atypical tire degradation partly due to resurfacing of the track. Wins by Max Verstappen and George Russell have disrupted McLaren’s summer dominance and highlight important technical factors, including one that may not please the FIA.

McLaren overtaken at Singapore: do upgrades play a role?

The FIA’s standard technical update documents, which list each team’s developments at every Grand Prix, suggest a detail that, given the results, cannot be mere coincidence. Among top teams, Mercedes and Red Bull introduced the most upgrades, particularly a new front wing specification designed to improve balance and meet Singapore’s high downforce requirements. While no team reveals the full details, it became immediately clear that Brackley had pushed into an area of the regulations that the FIA believed it had fully restricted: carbon flexing.

The W16’s new front wing flaps visibly bent backward as speed increased. This innovation allowed Mercedes to regain optimal balance in Singapore, aided by moderate temperatures and reduced tire stress, providing strong downforce in slow corners and traction while maintaining straight-line speed thanks to the flexible flaps. Flexible wings are crucial for ground-effect cars, helping manage natural understeer in slow corners without creating excessive oversteer in faster sections. The Anglo-German team relied heavily on these wings to address the persistent problem of a light rear end, which even a rear suspension update hadn’t fully solved. Flexing front wings reduce front-end downforce in high-speed corners, preventing the rear from becoming too light and the car from becoming unstable.

Ferrari caught off guard with conservative approach

While media focus centered on the W16, Ferrari was not the only team revisiting these technical concepts. Red Bull also introduced a new front wing in Singapore, demonstrating a return to “flexy wing” design, albeit with different characteristics. Pierre Waché’s team focused on the outer flaps near the endplates, improving outwash and overall RB21 efficiency, particularly by better managing airflow from the front tires. These upgrades also serve a long-term purpose: “It’s important for us to understand the potential of this project and develop it because, even with different regulations, we will use the same tools for next year’s car,” explained Laurent Mekies.

For Red Bull, trusting wind tunnel data on the RB21 is crucial because these tools will be used for the 2026 car. “We need to ensure our methods are correct; this gives us confidence for next year’s car. Of course, this comes at a cost for 2026, but we believe it’s the right decision.” Ferrari, in contrast, chose a more conservative approach. After evolving the SF-25’s rear suspension — which failed to deliver expected results — the Maranello team halted further development for this year. As a result, updates planned for Baku, including new flexible wings, were canceled, while Red Bull and Mercedes surprised the Italian team with continued upgrades. Ferrari will not revert to the previous suspension like Mercedes, but internally they acknowledge they lag behind competitors regarding flexible wing know-how. This conservative strategy makes even the team’s minimum goal of securing second place in the Constructors’ Championship a challenging task.