How front wing flex tests are changing with the new technical directive from Spanish GP onward. New front wing flexibility tests debut at the Spanish GP.

The debut of the new deformation tests for front wings has arrived, awaited since the end of January. In Barcelona, FIA stewards will follow new procedures to certify the legality of the wings, updating the three flexibility tests as described in the technical regulations. The new checks involve an increase in rigidity of up to 66%, forcing all teams to redesign their wings.

But what are the reasons behind the long timeline? The introduction of such a significant change mid-season has sparked discussion, especially after a third of the championship has already passed. Although the timing is far from ideal, it stems from the Federation’s difficulty in understanding how the wings of individual cars deform, which varies greatly depending on each team’s aerodynamic load distribution. As FIA single-seater technical director Nikolas Tombazis explained last September, the variation in aerodynamic load distribution among teams—some having more load on the outside, others on the inside or along the wing chord, with designs focusing the load either at the front or rear of the wing—makes it extremely difficult to define a single FIA test that can effectively cover all scenarios.

The Federation began collecting data during the Belgian Grand Prix last July, applying adhesive optical markers on the wings of the cars to monitor deformation through onboard cameras. This led to a lengthy research effort that concluded over the winter, though the new flexibility tests could not be introduced immediately. The average time to develop and produce a front wing is around three months, which delayed the implementation of the new checks until the Spanish Grand Prix.

So how do the tests change? The updated inspection procedures are described in Articles 3.15.4 and 3.15.5 of the technical regulations. There are three checks involved, going beyond the simple flap flexing seen by the public in nose-camera footage.

The first test applies a single downward force of 1000 newton, equivalent to just over 100 kilograms, on the lower profiles of the wing, 800 millimeters laterally from the car’s centerline. The maximum allowed deformation drops from 20 millimeters to 15 millimeters, which corresponds to a stiffness increase of about 32%.

The second test is similar, but instead applies two 1000 newton loads, symmetrically on either side of the wing relative to the centerline. The permissible flex for each point goes from 15 millimeters to 10 millimeters, equivalent to a 50% increase in stiffness.

Finally, the third test concerns the upper elements of the wing, whose deformation is most visible from onboard cameras. The procedure involves applying a 60 newton, which is approximately 6 kilograms, force along any point of the rearmost edge of the flap and perpendicular to it. The maximum flex is reduced from 5 millimeters to 3 millimeters, which equates to a 66% increase in stiffness.

The wing profiles will still retain a degree of deformation, bearing in mind that no test can perfectly replicate the real distribution of aerodynamic load when the car is in motion. The tests therefore will not completely eliminate controversy, but as FIA single-seater technical director Nikolas Tombazis reiterated last September, the Federation’s guideline is clear. The FIA’s policy is that if someone complies with all of them and without any mechanism in the car, then it is legal.

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