Mercedes' Special Rear Wing for Monaco May Have Secured Pole for Antonelli

Mercedes' specially developed rear wing for the Monaco Grand Prix is believed to have provided a time gain greater than Kimi Antonelli's pole position margin. The team's overnight setup changes also significantly boosted Antonelli's qualifying performance.

Scraper SystemJune 07, 2026, 01:28 AM

Mercedes' Special Rear Wing for Monaco May Have Secured Pole for Antonelli

Mercedes' specially designed rear wing brought to the Monaco Grand Prix is reported to have potentially delivered a time gain greater than the 0.043-second margin by which Kimi Antonelli secured pole position over Max Verstappen. Internal team assessments indicated that this minor technical enhancement was valuable enough to influence the outcome of qualifying.

According to team sources, the expected lap time gain from this design ranged between 0.045 and 0.05 seconds, surpassing the gap between Antonelli and Verstappen. Mercedes was among the teams that maximized the limited aerodynamic areas allowed by regulations on a circuit like Monaco, where active aerodynamic use is restricted.

It was noted that Mercedes did not validate this part through consecutive on-track tests but decided it was worth carrying on the car based on the data obtained. Notably, the move by Red Bull with similar small winglets was also highlighted within the team as a potentially decisive factor in the qualifying battle.

Hamilton Also Highlighted the Same Detail

Ferrari arrived at Monaco as the favorite, reinforced by their 1-2 finish on Friday. However, the qualifying sessions changed the picture; Lewis Hamilton took third place, while Charles Leclerc was fourth.

Hamilton expressed surprise that Ferrari had not tried a similar technical move. Drawing attention to the small wing additions seen on rival cars during qualifying, Hamilton noted that Ferrari had not taken the expected step in this area.

How Mercedes Recovered from Friday to Saturday

Antonelli's pole position was influenced not only by the rear wing but also by the setup changes made overnight. Antonelli and George Russell struggled to find speed during Friday practice sessions; the car felt uncomfortable especially over bumps, and rear tire temperatures rose in the final sector.

Following overnight work in the Brackley simulator, Mercedes implemented adjustments on Saturday that changed the car's character. Antonelli reported that compared to the previous day, the car felt much livelier and responded better to kerbs and uneven surfaces.

The team's changes focused on mechanical settings. Softening the suspension allowed drivers to attack kerbs more confidently, and the balance of tire temperatures between the front and rear axles was improved.

These adjustments, combined with Antonelli's effective use of practice laps and his management of rising temperatures as grip decreased, transformed Mercedes' Friday struggles into a strong qualifying performance. Thus, the Monaco pole was the result of both a technical detail and comprehensive overnight setup work.

Mercedes' Special Rear Wing for Monaco May Have Secured Pole for Antonelli