Mercedes' unusual two-phase front wing activation during the Chinese Grand Prix was caused by a reliability problem, not an exploit, the FIA has accepted. The quirk on Kimi Antonelli's winning car drew questions from an unnamed rival team. Ferrari denied involvement in the FIA query.
At the Chinese Grand Prix, footage showed Kimi Antonelli's Mercedes front wing closing in two separate stages at the end of the straight as he secured his maiden Formula 1 race victory. This behavior raised suspicions among rivals, with one unnamed team questioning the FIA about whether it violated regulations limiting teams to two wing positions between corner and straight modes, within a 400-millisecond transition window. The wing's double movement fell outside this window, prompting theories of a deliberate advantage. Ferrari, Mercedes' main 2026 rival, denied submitting the query. On Thursday morning, Mercedes explained the issue as a reliability fault, likely due to insufficient hydraulic pressure preventing the wing from reverting fully to its upwards position. The FIA accepted this account, noting Mercedes' eagerness to fix the problem, which the team views as detrimental to performance by disrupting aerodynamic balance before braking zones. Autosport and Motorsport.com reported the details after learning from sources close to the matter.
