Formula 1 Monaco GP
F1 teams exploit rear wing loophole for Monaco
Mercedes, Red Bull, and more have capitalised on the lack of active aero for Monaco to fit additional rear wing devices
Jake Boxall-Legge
Edited: Jun 4, 2026, 5:51 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Mercedes rear wing detail
Photo by: Circuitpics .de
The removal of straight mode for Formula 1's Monaco Grand Prix has led to an interesting approach from a handful of teams - which have used the opportunity to replace their rear wing actuators with a cluster of tiny winglets.
All bodywork must fit into the defined legality boxes defined by the FIA's technical regulations. There is a small rectangular box on top of the rear wing for the wing actuator housing, previously used for DRS and now used for the active aero functionality.
Since straight mode is not in operation for this weekend, the actuator is superfluous. However, this has offered the opportunity to use this box for downforce purposes, a key component for performance in Monaco.
Red Bull Racing rear wing detail
Photo by: Circuitpics.de
The aerodynamicists' pursuit of downforce usually needs to be balanced by efficiency; while a development might offer high levels of peak load, it would not be viable to use it should the drag penalty be too high. The best-performing cars are those that find the strongest balance between downforce and drag overall.
Low cornering speeds in Monaco significantly reduce the need for efficiency; thus, teams can bolt on their largest wings and benefit from the increased acceleration under traction. It might be described as 'dirty downforce', but it's sensible to pursue that route at the Monte Carlo circuit as none of the straights are long enough to create a realistic drag penalty.
Additionally, these winglets can also help the rear wing work harder through generating upwash, which expands the lower pressure field at the rear of the car. If this is linked to the diffuser, it generates more suction and thus pulls airflow underneath the car at a higher velocity - thus, increasing downforce.
Monaco
Photo by: Supplied by Berkeley Red
This is all possible because the bounding box for the actuator housing extends well above the rear wing elements, allowing the teams to use the verticality to fit their winglets into.
Mercedes has taken a particularly radical approach here, and its arrangement of aero devices very much looks like a series of aerofoils on a vine. The mainplane mounted pylon houses a trio of cascading winglets, with another winglet mounted on top.
There are two further banks of two winglets behind this, with the final bank mounted to the upper rear wing flap. Each of the final winglets in each 'cascade' has a Gurney flap to further increase their potency.
Red Bull, meanwhile, appears to have modified its standard actuator housing to fit two winglets, enclosed by endplates.
McLaren rear wing detail
Photo by: Circuitpics.de
Audi has two cascading elements sitting on the upper rear wing plane, attached to a mainplane-mounted pylon. This fits on like an extra tab, much like Ferrari's standard rear wing design, and this is an approach Cadillac has also taken for this round. To fit this, the American team has removed the actuator section entirely.
Racing Bulls has also modified its standard actuator housing to resolve in a single tab to extend the working chord length of the central part of the rear wing, also with a Gurney flap at the trailing edge.
Photos from Monaco GP - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Monaco Grand Prix - Thursday
Formula 1
53
Read Also:
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article F1 fans joke George Russell is 'cursed' as Mercedes driver's Fiat Jolly breaks down in Monaco
Next article Charles Leclerc: Monaco the track to bet on Ferrari, but Mercedes still favourite
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Jake Boxall-Legge
FIA expects F1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi to continue as planned
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
FIA expects F1 races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi to continue as planned
Latest news
Tim Clark wants NASCAR to be better storytellers to counter "brand perception problem"
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup 2 min
Tim Clark wants NASCAR to be better storytellers to counter "brand perception problem"
Why NASCAR's Zane Smith fine for Carson Hocevar contact was consistent
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
28 min
Why NASCAR's Zane Smith fine for Carson Hocevar contact was consistent
Jimmie Johnson on the NASCAR business world: "It's a war"
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup 39 min
Jimmie Johnson on the NASCAR business world: "It's a war"
David Alonso lashes out at Dani Holgado: "When you’re not a good person, there’s nothing you can do"
Moto2
MOT2 Moto2
Phillip Island
39 min
David Alonso lashes out at Dani Holgado: "When you’re not a good person, there’s nothing you can do"
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe