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Mercedes Continues Testing Dominance While Ferrari's Bold Rear Wing Design Steals Spotlight

Mercedes maintained their edge over McLaren during the second day of Bahrain's final pre-season test, though all eyes were drawn to an unconventional rear wing configuration being trialed by Ferrari. The innovative aerodynamic solution showcased the Scuderia's technical ambitions heading into the 2026 season.

Mercedes Continues Testing Dominance While Ferrari's Bold Rear Wing Design Steals Spotlight
Formula 1

The second day of Bahrain's concluding pre-season examination produced a familiar sight atop the timing sheets, with Mercedes once again edging out McLaren to secure the fastest lap. However, the headline-grabbing moment came from the Maranello outfit, whose engineers unveiled a distinctive rear wing arrangement that immediately captured the attention of the F1 paddock.

Ferrari's experimental aerodynamic concept represented a departure from conventional designs, demonstrating the team's willingness to push technical boundaries as preparations intensify for the season ahead. The solution drew considerable scrutiny from engineers and observers alike, signaling the Italian team's proactive approach to competitive development during the crucial pre-season phase.

Meanwhile, Mercedes' continued performance at the top of the timesheets reinforced their strong preparation trajectory. McLaren's proximity to the German manufacturers indicated competitive equilibrium between the two teams as the testing program drew to a close in Bahrain, with all three squads fine-tuning their machinery and strategies before the campaign commences.

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Full Regulation Text

Technical Regulations

Article C3.11.1

FIA Source

Rear Wing Profiles

Chapter: C3

In Simple Terms

The rear wing must fit within a specific design area and can have up to three separate sections. It cannot have inward-curving surfaces visible from underneath, and any inward curves visible from above must have a minimum radius of 100mm to ensure safety and fair aerodynamic performance.

  • Rear wing bodywork must stay within the defined RV-RW-PROFILES design box
  • Maximum of three non-overlapping sections allowed in the rear wing structure
  • No concave (inward-curving) surfaces allowed when viewed from below
  • Any concave surfaces visible from above must have at least 100mm radius to prevent sharp curves
Official FIA Text

Rear Wing Profiles Bodywork must lie in its entirety within RV-RW-PROFILES, comprise of up to three non-intersecting simply connected volumes, and contain no concave radius of curvature visible from below and no concave radius less than 100mm visible from above.

rear wingbodywork profileconcave radiusaerodynamic bodyworkwing design
2026 Season Regulations
Technical Regulations

Article C3.9.1

FIA Source

Tail

Chapter: C3

In Simple Terms

The rear wing and tail section must fit within a defined three-dimensional space called RV-TAIL. When looking at the car from underneath, the tail must be completely hidden behind the floor up to a certain point. Below a specific height, the tail can have up to three separate sections.

  • Entire tail bodywork must stay within the RV-TAIL boundary box
  • Tail must be fully obscured by the floor when viewed from below, forward of XR = 295mm
  • Below Z = 450mm height, teams can have maximum three sections in any horizontal plane
  • Violations relate to aerodynamic device sizing and positioning regulations
Official FIA Text

Tail Bodywork must lie in its entirety within RV-TAIL, when viewed from below be fully obscured by Floor Body forward of XR = 295, and below Z = 450 have up to three sections in any Z-Plane.

tail bodyworkrear wingrv-tailfloor obscuredaerodynamic device
2026 Season Regulations
Technical Regulations

Article C3.12.5

FIA Source

Rear Wing Bodywork to Tail Bodywork Assembly

Chapter: C3

In Simple Terms

The rear wing and tail section of the car must fit together smoothly with no gaps. Teams are allowed to use small rounded edges (up to 10mm curves) where these parts meet, but everything must be neatly trimmed and aligned.

  • Rear wing and tail bodywork must be precisely fitted together with no misalignment
  • Small fillet radius curves (maximum 10mm) are permitted at intersection points for aerodynamic smoothness
  • All edges must be trimmed neatly to create clean transitions between these components
  • This regulation ensures consistent aerodynamic performance and prevents teams from exploiting gaps for advantage
Official FIA Text

Rear Wing Bodywork and Tail Bodywork must be trimmed to each other. Fillet Radius no greater than 10mm may be applied along intersections between volumes.

rear wingtail bodyworkfillet radiusbodywork assemblyaerodynamic regulations
2026 Season Regulations