The first look at the Mercedes W16 reveals some striking elements to the Brackley-based squad’s car concept at the start of the 2025 F1 season.
In particular, it looks clear the sidepod undercut has been pushed to the extremes; the cooling inlets are placed in two different planes.
One vertical slit extends from the floor up to the lip covering the horizontal air inlet of the sidepod. This sports a letter-box cross section that has been reduced to a minimum.
It is worth noting, the flow conditioners under the floor are shaped in a totally different way compared to last year’s car, the W15. This is especially apparent for the most central one, which is deeply curved inwards.
This feature clearly explains a deep revision of the floor, even if it is not recognisable by looking at its lateral edge.
Another point of interest is the nose tip of the car, which features a different profile compared to last season.
This element shows a different diversion of the airflow impacting the front wing in its central section, as so to feed the vertical inlets – placed at the side of the chassis in the undercut section – in an efficient way.
The changes to the front of the Mercedes have been illustrated below.
