The Mercedes Duct: A Solution in the Air

The Silver Arrows are punctured. Indeed, from the very start of the pre-season private testing in Barcelona, the Mercedes W03 caught the attention of the discipline’s observers. The design was less the issue than the small opening located at the front of the nose. This solution, quickly nicknamed “W-Duct,” in reference to McLaren’s “F-Duct” in 2010, raises many questions.

In 2010, the McLaren team was the first to propose a simple system: an opening was made at the front of the car, which allowed part of the airflow to be captured and then redirected to the upper part of the rear wing via a duct, in order to generate more downforce. However, on the straight, the driver could choose, through a mechanism specific to each team, to close this opening in order to deprive the rear wing of downforce, with the aim of increasing top speed.

The regulations were modified at the end of 2010 with the aim of banning the solution used by the Woking team: since this modification, devices activated by the driver are prohibited (except for the DRS, of course). This is precisely where the Stuttgart team stands out since the system implemented on the W03 is supposed to produce similar effects, in terms of downforce, while keeping the driver completely passive, making it theoretically legal.

Legal and support-generating, this solution was bound to attract the attention of the star brand’s competitors, starting with McLaren, who, according to our German colleagues at Auto Motor und Sport, allegedly tested a similar system during the second testing session in Barcelona. Similarly, rumors suggest that Red Bull and Lotus are attempting to create their own “W-duct.” Also, when Adrian Newey was questioned about the function of the opening located at the front of the hump on the nose of the Red Bull RB8, he responded that he could « say nothing ».

But the British engineer would have gone even further. Thus, during the final days of testing in Barcelona, the RB8 designed by Adrian Newey featured numerous new elements, particularly on the rear wing, where two large notches appeared at the back of the lower profile of the wing. These notches, according to certain leaks, are supposed to redirect the air collected at the rear wing supports and potentially at the lower part of the wing, near the diffuser, thereby generating more downforce. A system already inspired by a solution tried by Mercedes in 2010, but which proved complex to develop for the German team.

Despite this, and as often happens, the legality of these systems raises doubts, and Michael Schmidt, a German journalist, indicated (that) he had heard that a team had filed an official request with the FIA to determine what was allowed and what was not in this area. A solution that certainly doesn’t lack boldness and is likely to make waves.