The so-called 'S-duct' that appeared to adorn the front of the Mercedes cars as they practiced on Friday was not functional.
"We are trying something for next year," was all Nico Rosberg would say at Interlagos.
Prominent on the 6 and 44 race numbers of the two silver cars, the bump looked like an S-duct air intake, but Auto Motor und Sport reports that Mercedes is actually just testing for the 2016 season.
Mechanics poured 'flow viz' paint onto the protrusion to evaluate its aerodynamic effect, while the team probably also got the drivers' feedback about the additional cockpit height.
A functioning S-duct would actually have needed a new nose and crash test, it emerges.
Rosberg said he backed Mercedes' efforts to focus now on 2016.
"The championship is already finished," said the German. "Hamilton and the team won it, I'm in second position but that is not important.
"The important thing is to test for next year," Rosberg said in Spanish to the EFE news agency.
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