“I believe Ferrari and McLaren are still using the mini-DRS. It will be discussed in the future, it’s pretty obvious,” said Pierre Waché, technical director of Red Bull, at the end of the pre-season tests in Bahrain.
These words triggered an impressive media reaction, as such an attack is far from commonplace in Formula 1.
But what is the French engineer referring to? And what has happened since he made those comments to the press? Let’s recap everything.
What is mini-DRS and what will the FIA do?
The mini-DRS phenomenon was first noticed at last year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, who went on to win the race.
By using a flexible high-speed solution, the rear wing of the “papaya” car opened slightly at the sides, reducing drag and giving the Woking team a competitive advantage.
After a brief investigation, the FIA denied the British team the possibility of reusing that exact aerodynamic specification, deeming it illegal.
However, no technical directive has ever been issued on the matter, which could happen even before the Australian Grand Prix. According to reports from Autoracer, the International Federation visited Ferrari’s factory (accused by Pierre Waché of “installing” the mini-DRS on the SF-25 car) to gain more clarity on the issue.
We can only wait for further updates, but one thing is certain: if the governing body does not intervene, the controversies will only increase.
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