A controversy shaking the paddock
Until the Chinese Grand Prix, the fifth round of the 2024 Formula 1 championship, Red Bull showed a considerable margin over the competition, with the only exception being the Australian Grand Prix at the Albert Park circuit, where Max Verstappen likely would have had to settle for a podium finish (the Dutchman had to retire almost immediately due to a rear brake problem) and Carlos Sainz secured the race win for Scuderia Ferrari.
In the last four races – in Miami, Imola, Monaco, and Canada – partly due to the updates brought to the track by rival teams, the advantage of the RB20 single-seater seems to have narrowed up to the point that the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix weekend at the Barcelona circuit is eagerly awaited to see if Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes have indeed caught up in performance on a track that usually reveals the true values of the cars’ potential.
In recent weeks, Red Bull has noticed that the front wings of Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes are excessively flexible. “The FIA is going blind,” claimed Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, and the Milton Keynes team has stated they are ready “to adapt” to replicate the behavior of their rivals’ wings, a topic – that of flexible wings – in which Red Bull has always excelled (just remember the controversy over the crackdown on rear wings after a few races in 2021).
In Canada, FIA members visited the Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren, and Mercedes garages, and images captured Federation delegates verifying the solidity of various components of the front wings. The deformation and flexibility of the front aerodynamic appendages not only allow for less aerodynamic drag but also influence the airflow to the car’s underbody, providing slight understeer in fast corners.
Teams must comply with stringent static load tests conducted by the FIA. The front wings are subjected to a force of 60 newtons and must not deform more than three millimeters. Early in the 2023 Formula One season, Aston Martin was reportedly advised to modify their front wing design to prevent potential rule infractions.
At the start of the season, Mercedes drew attention with a controversial feature on the front wing of their W15, which initially passed FIA scrutiny but was discarded by the Monaco Grand Prix. The revised Mercedes front wing has improved the car’s balance, boosting the confidence of both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
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