Throughout Formula 1’s ground-effect period, Mercedes encountered numerous development challenges. The team indicates that after implementing adaptable wings to manage their problematic vehicle, they required “some time to adjust” once the FIA imposed stricter rules.
Having previously secured eight consecutive Formula 1 constructors’ championships, Mercedes commenced the ground-effect era in 2022 at a disadvantage. Their unique zero-pod design made them more vulnerable to the porpoising effect, leading to a struggle for performance recovery in subsequent seasons.
To boost their F1 car’s performance, the team investigated a solution involving pliable wings, which, according to trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin, “proved quite effective.”
“For the past few seasons, we faced difficulties in achieving proper car rotation through low-speed bends,” clarified Shovlin. “Certain problems with our rear tire temperatures stemmed from drivers needing to apply the throttle to aid steering. This guided us toward a beneficial development strategy: enabling the front wing to flex.”
“This improved performance at slower speeds and maintained rear stability at higher speeds, which was successful. Nevertheless, the FIA introduced new rules this year that substantially curtailed this capability.”
During the 2025 season, the FIA, Formula 1’s regulatory authority, implemented stricter controls on flexible wing designs. This measure imposed limits on the allowable flexibility in both front and rear wings, with the most rigorous assessments taking place during the Spanish Grand Prix event.
Mercedes W16 technical detail
Photo by: Antonia Vandersee / circuitpics.de
The new evaluations affected each team uniquely; some speculated it would hinder McLaren’s advantage and conclude their supremacy, yet this forecast did not come to fruition. However, the revised tests did impede Mercedes.
“We required some time to adjust once those regulations were introduced in Barcelona,” Shovlin further stated.
“When your car isn’t the fastest, you observe the leading competitors and their approaches. We examined McLaren’s rear suspension and understood their efforts with anti-lift mechanisms to optimize how low the rear could be maintained during cornering.”
The problem that prompted Mercedes to consider the flexible wing concept represented merely one of numerous challenges the German squad encountered following F1’s rule modifications in 2022. While Shovlin refrains from claiming Mercedes “misjudged” the alteration, he concedes that they “insufficiently focused” on certain regulatory components.
“Upon the introduction of these regulations, we wouldn’t assert that we undervalued the task of achieving optimal cornering balance – meaning stability upon entry, rotation at the peak, and effective traction upon exit – but we undeniably allocated insufficient resources to transferring the strong points of our 2020–2021 vehicles,” Shovlin remarked.
“Currently, all teams navigate corners at comparable velocities. The distinguishing factor is how effectively a car’s balance aligns with a particular track, and that is what currently differentiates the competitors.”
Mercedes is presently preparing for F1’s forthcoming regulatory overhaul in 2026, which will profoundly transform the vehicles and their power plants. Though Shovlin acknowledged the team still faced “considerable tasks,” he admitted that the approaching shift felt “less intimidating than it did a month prior.”
