Dec.10 (GMM) Mercedes has given the clearest glimpse yet of Formula 1’s 2026 future – running a crude prototype active front wing during the post-season Abu Dhabi test.
The move comes as team boss Toto Wolff refuses to accept that the Brackley based team should be seen as the early favourite for the new rules era.
The FIA-approved test item, operated by two exposed plastic tubes running from the nose, allowed the wing to flatten on the straights in a basic “straight-line mode”. Ferrari has also evaluated its own subtler version.
Pirelli’s Mario Isola, having revealed the new tyres for next season on Tuesday, said both teams’ work is vital: “The FIA has given the teams the opportunity to develop a system that replicates the straight-line mode on the front wing.”
Wolff nonetheless rejected suggestions the team is entering another 2014-style golden era.
“P2, P4, P3, P2 – that’s not a complete disaster,” Wolff told Auto Motor und Sport as the ground-effect cycle ended with a fourth consecutive title drought. “But we missed out on winning a championship.
“We’re happy this ground-effect era is finally over.”
The Austrian admitted Mercedes never truly solved the aerodynamic fundamentals of its cars. “The last race showed that we still haven’t really understood these cars. We had a bad start in 2022, and while trying to fix the problems, new ones kept cropping up,” said Wolff.
However, he offered no excuses under the budget cap: “McLaren completely revamped their car three years ago. Red Bull figured out what wasn’t working and turned it around. Unfortunately, we haven’t managed to do that in four years.”
Much of the team’s struggle, Wolff said, came from flawed tools – wind tunnel and CFD models that didn’t match reality. Only in late 2025 did Mercedes feel confident the underlying infrastructure was finally fixed.
Even so, he dismissed comparisons to the build-up to the dominant 2014 engine era.
“I already had a good feeling beforehand in 2014,” he admitted. “But that wasn’t comparable to today. Now all the teams are much better prepared.”
Asked whether the 2026 car and new Mercedes power unit can return the team to the front, Wolff stayed cautious: “I’m never optimistic. For me, the glass is always half empty.
“We’re on the right track, but whether our goals are ambitious enough, only time will tell.”