Toto Wolff reveals FIA contact over controversial Mercedes front wing design

Toto Wolff has confirmed that Mercedes have been in constant “dialogue” with the FIA over their innovative front wing design on the W15.

Since launching their all-new F1 challenger last week, the front wing on their car has attracted a lot of attention.

The front wing is under scrutiny because of how it will influence the airflow around the car.

The rules in 2022 were introduced to aid wheel-to-wheel racing, by reducing how much turbulent wake the cars can produce.

It is understood that Mercedes’ new front wing will create the ‘Y250 vortex’ which was a feature of the previous generation of F1 cars, which struggled to follow other cars on track.

However, speaking to the media during pre-season testing in Bahrain, Wolff addressed the legality of it.

“What's been put on a car is always following an exchange with the FIA, all through the process," Wolff explained.

"It's not such a thing where you have a clever idea and then you bolt it on to test and you think, 'That could be or couldn't be challenged'.

"That's a long process of dialogue that happens over the winter. I feel we're in an OK place."

After two difficult years, Mercedes have adopted a new car concept - while Red Bull appear to be leaning towards what Mercedes chose in 2022/2023 - in a bid to achieve a "better platform".

"The truth is you don't know; every team follows their own development direction and is trying to generate lap time in the virtual world, in simulators and in the wind tunnel," Wolff added.

"And they're going to put that on the car no matter what other teams do.

"We have gone back from our zero-pod concept and some of the features because we felt it didn't help the car's performance, and that's why we've gone to something that at first sight looks more conventional from the bodywork but we believe is a better platform."