Revealed: The full force of Mercedes' aero attack in Canada

Under attack from Red Bull in recent races, the world champions have targeted Montreal to stay ahead in the development race.

The low-downforce demands of the Canadian venue have produced an aerodynamic package that stretches from front to rear...

Front Wing

Mercedes AMG F1 W07 front wing detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

As you can see in this image, the front wing's upper flap has been treated to six strakes, askewed with the flap's leading edge, in order that the pressure be disrupted and the airflow turned around the front tyre.

Vortices will be generated by these strakes, changing the wake shed from the tyre and how the air moves downstream around the rest of the car.

Turning Vanes

Mercedes AMG F1 W07 Hybrid rear wing detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Located underneath the chassis, the turning vanes were a point of focus back in Barcelona with extra slots added that ran up the vertical elements as well.

For Canada they've been totally revised, with longitudinal slots used in the footplate rather than short-span-wise ones.

This will change the vortices that are shed from the turning vanes and how they interact with the Y250 vortex already shed from the mainplane.

Sidepod Airflow Conditioners

Mercedes AMG F1 W07 Hybrid sidepod detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The complexity of the W07 is quite staggering, and one area of the car that differs significantly from others up and down the grid is the vertical airflow conditioners that frame the sidepod.

Unlike others on the grid, Mercedes has opted to hang theirs from the sidepod and detached from the floor, with the lower-most section interacting with another element mounted on the floor's 'axe head' to create a very specific aero structure.

For Canada the L-shaped vane that sits inside of this has been increased in size, likely in response to the changes ahead of it, as it looks to help shape the airflow that moves around the sidepod.

Rear Wing

Mercedes AMG F1 W07 Hybrid rear wing detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

At the rear of the car, a new rear wing will be trialled – this spoon-style wing having already featured on the W06 in Spa (see below) and Monza last season.

Mercedes W06 rear wing, Belgium GP

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The curvature of the wing looks to maximize downforce, whilst reducing drag. A much shorter chord length is used at the outer section of the wing, changing how the wing tip vortex forms.

The central portion of the wing dips below the intended height permissible for the rear wing mainplane, as it sits inside the central 200mm section ordinarily associated with appendages like the monkey seat.

The design used by Mercedes in 2015 was scuppered by Article 3.10.8 of the technical regulations, as it only allowed the mainplane to dip into a 150mm central section.

This has been amended for 2016, allowing the design to be fully exploited, with a smaller curvature needed as the mainplane extrudes upward toward the maximal height either side of the 100mm exclusion zone.

It is understood the wing will be evaluated on Friday with an eye to it being used in Baku, but it is not impossible that it could remain on the car for the remainder of the Canadian weekend if results are good.

Monkey Seat

Mercedes AMG F1 W07 rear detail

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The monkey seat has also been extensively revised, with a hooped design employed in favour of their usual configuration (pictured here on a different rear wing arrangement).

This is undoubtedly designed to effect the exhaust plume and surrounding airflow in way that will work in conjunction with the 'spoon' rear wing.