Why Mercedes’ ‘greater’ trick already gives them an advantage over Ferrari during the 2026 F1 season

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2026 could be time for some of Formula 1’s sleeping giants to awaken after extended periods without winning.

Ferrari, Mercedes, and Williams will all be looking to revisit certain portions of their history in pursuit of the constructors’ championship.

Nobody knows what to expect from the 2026 F1 regulations, but there are bound to be a few surprises over the next few months.

The first morning of pre-season testing saw Isack Hadjar and Red Bull top the timesheets by more than a second. A clearer picture of the running order isn’t likely until later in the Bahrain tests.

Are Mercedes the team to beat in 2026? They’ve completed 10 laps more than anyone else at testing after 90 minutes…

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Mercedes won a silly little competition by being the very first car out on track in an official session this season, beating German rivals Audi, who sit near the end of the pit lane.

Ferrari have dealt themselves a damaging blow by opting not to do a shakedown and sitting out of the first day of testing, despite a gloomy weather forecast for the rest of the week. It could hurt their development.

READ MORE: F1 fans all say the same thing after seeing Lewis Hamilton’s ‘menacing’ Ferrari onboard

Mercedes’ ‘greater’ aero trick gives them an advantage over Ferrari

Ferrari have a ‘curiously calm’ approach to 2026 and the ongoing engine drama surrounding Mercedes and Red Bull, relating to the compression ratio of their engines.

It’s alleged that they might have found a trick to beat the prescribed 16:1 fuel ratio, turning it to 18:1 for a limited period of time.

And they might now have another advantage over their rivals, particularly Ferrari, in the aerodynamic department.

The Italian edition of Motorsport.com reports that Mercedes’ front wing should be able to generate ‘greater airflow’ underneath their car, compared to the Scuderia.

Expect to see a few more variations of the front wing and other parts before the first race of the year in Australia, but it’s a promising start from the Silver Arrows.

READ MORE: Ferrari have made one ‘extremely aggressive’ decision with Lewis Hamilton’s 2026 F1 car

What Ted Kravitz noticed ‘straight away’ about Lewis Hamilton’s 2026 Ferrari car

Ferrari joined McLaren in not completing a 200km shakedown ahead of the new season, which is a small risk to have taken, but may have been forced by manufacturing delays.

It means that testing is their first real chance to hit the track for long runs and gauge the reliability of their new machines.

Ted Kravitz ‘noticed’ Hamilton’s Ferrari using active aero during his very first lap in the SF-26 at Fiorano last week.

It’s a new element to add to the racing this year, which may take some time for fans to get used to. A bit like DRS when it was introduced in 2011.