New FIA Technical Directive, less tolerance on flexible wings in F1: Ferrari has a golden opportunity against McLaren. Teams had been aware of the International Federation’s intentions since winter. But did someone put pressure on the stewards? According to the latest whispers from the paddock, that may not necessarily be the case.
The crackdown on flexible wings seems like a bolt from the blue. Given the repeated statements from the International Federation, a regulatory shift appeared to be out of the question. Clearly, something changed over the winter. Conspiracy theories abound in such cases: was this all part of McLaren’s plan to nip Red Bull’s comeback in the bud?
The truth, as often happens, is more complex than an overly simplistic conjecture would suggest. According to Jon Noble on The Race, Woking did not apply any lobbying pressure on the FIA. On the contrary, the tightening of regulations on flexible wings had been openly discussed during the winter. Journalists, in this case, were the last to find out.
Winners and losers: the peculiar case of Ferrari
In this context, it is fair to speculate on who will actually benefit from the new technical regulations. McLaren and Mercedes had made significant progress in their studies on wing flexibility. Meanwhile, Red Bull is said to have invested heavily in this area over the winter. And then there’s Ferrari, which had also been adapting to the Federation’s “flexible” directives.
At Maranello, as in Milton Keynes, engineers were aware of the FIA’s intentions. However, it is hard to believe that the change in philosophy regarding flexible wings did not somehow impact the development of the SF-25. What is certain is that the Prancing Horse had ample time to adjust its efforts accordingly.
The new Technical Directive could shake up the next world championship. Ferrari may take advantage of the reduced tolerance allowed by the stewards to close the gap to McLaren. It remains unclear, however, how the technical regulation changes will affect the balance of the cars. The first big “scandal” of 2025 is already just around the corner.
Source: f1ingenerale
