Tech insight - Mercedes’ bowl-shaped Baku wing

The all new Baku City Circuit has become an instant hit with drivers, teams and fans alike, thanks in no small part to its highly unusual nature: a temporary street track, incredibly narrow and slow in places, yet with top speeds in excess of 350km/h. Here’s how Mercedes have approached it in terms of rear aero set-up…

The distinctive looking rear wing above has been used by both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton in Azerbaijan, having been tested briefly in slightly different form (drawing below) by Rosberg at the previous round in Canada. The main difference is the removal of the monkey seat seen in Montreal (red arrow), in order to reduce drag and improve top speed. On the wing’s trailing edge there is a small Gurney flap to help create a little more downforce in the slow corners.