Mercedes drop huge claim over Ferrari-triggered revolutionary F1 upgrade

Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta has revealed the Brackley-based team had designed an upside-down "Macarena" rear wing more than a year ago, but chose not to build it.

Ferrari became the first team to introduce the fully inverted rear wing, which rotates its upper flap through more than 200 degrees into an aircraft-wing orientation rather than simply opening like a conventional DRS flap. 

The system, first tested in Bahrain during pre-season running, made its competitive debut at the Miami Grand Prix and has since triggered a wave of imitation, with Red Bull introducing its own version at the same round and McLaren trialling an experimental take during Friday practice in Austria. 

The style of wing, which stalls the diffuser and slashes straight-line drag far beyond what a standard DRS flap achieves, had never been seen on an F1 car before Ferrari's launch.

Resta, speaking on the Nu Silver Arrows radio show, said Mercedes had considered exactly this kind of solution long before it appeared on a rival's car.

"I am probably going to say something we have not shared before: we had this type of wing on our drawing board more than a year ago," Resta said.

"We evaluated the concept in detail. It clearly offers a drag-reduction benefit, but it also reduces downforce whenever the system is open.

"At the time, we did not believe the overall compromise justified the development investment or manufacture of components.

"That conclusion is not necessarily permanent, however, and we may revisit it. We remain humble, assess every solution we see elsewhere and consider whether there is anything useful for us to adopt."

Mercedes eye fierce United States GP competition

Mercedes go into next weekend's United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas off the back of a mixed run of results, having taken wins in Baku, Monza and Madrid but slipping back behind Red Bull and Ferrari in Singapore. Resta was asked who looks likely to be strongest in Texas.

"As I said, the interesting thing is that you arrive at each weekend unsure who will be strongest," Resta said. "Red Bull will be fighting at the front after several strong races.

"Ferrari have been competitive in almost every condition, even if they have sometimes lacked the final step to lead. We must also respect McLaren. They are the world champions and have shown that, at some races this year, they can be the strongest team by a clear margin.

"There is a good chance all three will be competitive in Austin. That makes it even more exciting for us as we work to extract more from our package, optimise the configuration and return to the front, as we did in Baku, Monza and Madrid.

"We have done it before and can do it again."