How Mercedes designed F1’s wildest wing – then scrapped it

Mercedes has revealed that it designed a radical rotating rear-wing more than a year before Ferrari turned the so-called ‘Macarena’ into one of Formula 1’s most talked-about technical innovations this season.

The Brackley outfit, however, ultimately decided that at the time, the potential gains were not worth the investment.

The fully inverted, 200-degree rotating wing flap – which essentially stalls airflow and obliterates straight-line drag – took the grid by storm when the Scuderia debuted it during pre-season testing in Bahrain and raced it in Miami.

Competitors immediately scrambled to clone the trick, with Red Bull rushing out a copycat version and McLaren running experimental variants later in the season. .

Yet behind the doors at Mercedes, the technical team wasn't panicking. As it turns out, they had already walked down that exact aero path – and walked away from it.

High stakes and cold calculations

Speaking on the Nu Silver Arrows radio show, Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta dropped a bombshell about the Silver Arrows' early development work on active aerodynamics for the 2026 regulations.

"I am probably going to say something we have not shared before: we had this type of wing on our drawing board more than a year ago," Resta said.

While the engineering team in Brackley recognized the sheer straight-line speed advantage the radical setup unlocked, their detailed simulations pointed to a double-edged sword.

Rotating the wing flap upside down delivers unprecedented drag reduction, but the penalty elsewhere on the lap was enough to give Mercedes' strategists cold feet.

"We evaluated the concept in detail. It clearly offers a drag-reduction benefit, but it also reduces downforce whenever the system is open," Resta explained.

"At the time, we did not believe the overall compromise justified the development investment or manufacture of components."

Never say never in Brackley

In an era governed by strict cost caps, spending valuable budget and manufacturing hours on a complex mechanism that sacrifices stability isn't a decision taken lightly.

Mercedes opted for a safer, more balanced aero philosophy for its 2026 machine—even if it meant letting Ferrari snatch the glory of bringing the "Macarena" wing to light first.

However, as rivals refine the system and prove its real-world value across varying circuit layouts, Mercedes isn't ruling out an about-face.

"That conclusion is not necessarily permanent, however, and we may revisit it," Resta admitted.

"We remain humble, assess every solution we see elsewhere and consider whether there is anything useful for us to adopt."

Whether Mercedes eventually resurrects its discarded designs or sticks to its guns, one thing is certain: the aerodynamic war off the track is every bit as fiery as the fight on it.

Read also: Russell faces another grid penalty as Mercedes weighs its options

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