In Canada, Mercedes not only dominated the weekend by monopolizing the pole position and taking victory in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix, but they also outclassed their rivals by introducing the most aggressive and unprecedented upgrade package on the grid.
Every area of the W17 has undergone profound modifications, despite the superiority demonstrated up to Miami. New concepts have been applied to the front wing, the floor ahead of the rear wheels, and the trailing edge of the diffuser. It is precisely in this latter area that the most striking surprises have emerged, featuring a reinterpretation of solutions introduced by Red Bull in the 2017 and 2021 seasons.
Recurring Solutions
As we have pointed out several times, the technical evolution of Formula 1 thrives on constant historical recurrences dictated by regulatory changes. This is a concept that James Allison clarified to me at the end of 2010, around the time the F-Duct was banned.
While other teams went so far as to provide me with their technical drawings for my seasonal analysis book, albeit urging me not to disclose the most “intimate” details, Allison categorically refused to reveal his secrets. The reason? He explained it to me with a cryptic phrase: “Even though the F-Duct has been banned, it doesn’t mean it might not come in handy again in the future…”
In Montreal, this explanation from Allison became an objective fact. Looking at the W17’s diffuser, its solutions are surprising; to all intents and purposes, they are unprecedented on the 2026 single-seaters. In practice, however, they represent the evolution of innovative concepts featured on the RB13 from the 2017 season and the RB16B from 2021.
On the upper surface of the extractor, there are three small oval-shaped bulges perfectly identical to the two found on the aforementioned Red Bulls, joined this time by equally prominent triangular “teeth” on the trailing edge.
In this case, it is an extreme iteration of the serrated diffusers seen in Monaco 2021 on the RB16B, but with the novelty of the diffuser’s length being shortened by a few centimeters. Another return to the past, present since the first race, is the fairing of the suspension mounts with a strong impact on flow management, similar to the uncompetitive yet extreme W13 from 2022.
Returning to Montreal, let’s review the complete package involving the front wing, the bargeboards, the floor ahead of the rear wheels, and the aforementioned diffuser profile.
Mercedes’ Front-End Philosophy
The first intervention concerns the front wing, which has been modified in all of its elements. The endplate features an additional fin to exploit the outwash effect. Now, the wing elements are anchored at a lower height to connect directly to the footplate, where the profile has lost the characteristic spoon shape it retained up until Miami.
Another interesting aspect relates to cooling: the air flows through a duct created between the rim and the inner wheel drum, subsequently expelling the heat towards the rear. This is a solution that actively contributes to minimizing drag.
Fine-Tuning the Center of the Car
On the bargeboards, there are no macroscopic upheavals, but rather a meticulous micro-aerodynamic refinement that has revised every single horizontal profile.
The goal of this upgrade is not the direct pursuit of more downforce or pure aerodynamic efficiency, but rather delaying flow separation.
The Aggressive Floor of the W17
Mercedes has carried out truly significant work on the car’s floor, as we can easily appreciate from the illustration: the engineers have added slots to increase the airflow between the upper and lower surfaces of the floor.
This is a solution that works to reduce the aerodynamic blockage produced by the rear wheels. Specifically, a vertical deflector can also be seen pushing the fluid mass outward. This unprecedented view allows us to highlight the most interesting solution of the package introduced on the W17.
Essentially, it is a reinterpretation of aerodynamic concepts already explored in the past. As is evident from the drawing, the upper section of the diffuser showcases three small bulges, while the trailing edge features triangular cutouts that effectively shorten the overall length of the diffuser.
