Kimi Antonelli breaks cover with Mercedes’ ‘completely redesigned’ new floor at 2026 F1 Bahrain test

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Mercedes have been busy from the start of the second Bahrain pre-season test, after revealing a flurry of new parts on Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s car for the 2026 F1 season.

The paddock regrouped in Sakhir this Wednesday to begin another three-day test, and many teams have turned their attentions to chasing performance after confirming the reliability of their new cars. But few outfits brought as many new upgrades as Mercedes had on the W17.

Antonelli was the first to get a go in the heavily-modified W17 in the morning session, before George Russell took over in the Mercedes in the afternoon. It was immediately clear that the Brackley bunch had brought a new sidepod concept, floor, rear diffuser and mirror supports.

Mercedes’ latest sidepods were the most obvious difference from the car that Antonelli and Russell used at the Barcelona shakedown and the first official pre-season test of F1’s 2026 regulations era in Bahrain last week. The new design is tighter and less angular than before.

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Mercedes have redesigned the forward and rear-most edges of their floor in Bahrain

Mercedes have also ‘completely redesigned’ their floor, according to Motorsport.com, having revealed a fresh design with ‘a more contoured’ profile. The leading and rear-most edges on the W17’s floor last week were far more simplistic than the design unveiled this Wednesday.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about F1’s 2026 engine and aero regulations

At the front, directly behind the bargeboards, Mercedes’ new floor cuts in much earlier than before. While at the rear, Mercedes have made changes to complement their new sidepods, with two longitudinal vents that curl inwards to replace their previous horizontal cuts there.

Mercedes hope the new vents in their rear-most floor edge yield considerable aerodynamic gains, as the area will be key for managing the turbulence generated by the rear tyres and preventing any interference with their rear diffuser in their search for performance in 2026.

Mercedes will look to develop their floor after the changes to the 2026 F1 regulations

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Mercedes’ new floor on Antonelli’s car to begin the second Bahrain pre-season test is likely to only be the latest development phase for the W17, as F1 teams have had to design new floors as part of the 2026 regulations. F1 has made floors 15cm narrower from this season.

But while Mercedes returned to the Bahrain International Circuit with lots of new parts on Wednesday, the Brackley bunch are not sailing into the 2026 F1 season without any issues. The FIA is yet to approve Mercedes’ Petronas fuel under F1’s new sustainability guidelines.

Additionally, it remains to be seen whether Mercedes will have to make any changes to their engine. The FIA is set to change how it tests F1 power units from August 2026, pending final approval from the World Motorsport Council, following complaints about Mercedes’ design.

Ferrari lobbied the FIA over beliefs that Mercedes can increase their compression rate from the allowed 16:1 to 18:1 during operation, which the FIA did not deem illegal as it currently only tests engines in ambient conditions. The FIA is now set to introduce new tests at 130°C.