F1 | Ferrari and Red Bull: the flip-wing remains in Monaco, but the RB22 gains three extra flaps
Despite the FIA’s decision to keep active wings closed throughout the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, Ferrari and Red Bull have opted not to return to the earlier specifications featuring the more traditional opening system. Instead, both teams have continued using their flip-wing concepts, while Red Bull has taken advantage of the situation to introduce additional aerodynamic elements in its pursuit of extra downforce.
Wings, wings and more wings. For years, Monaco has been the home of unusual aerodynamic solutions, the event where teams often arrived with circuit-specific components or, as seen in the late 1990s and early 2000s, unique concepts like the famous X-wings mounted around the cars.
Even this season, Monte Carlo has remained true to that tradition, with several innovative ideas appearing on the cars lining up on the grid.
There is, however, another interesting aspect to consider. Since the FIA decided not to allow active wings to open in Monaco for safety reasons — preventing excessively high speeds at certain points of the circuit, such as the braking zone into Sainte Devote — there had been speculation that some teams might adopt a different approach when selecting their aerodynamic specifications for the Principality.
Since Miami, both Ferrari and Red Bull have used their respective versions of the flip-wing as a fixed configuration. Given the complexity of the system and the potential weight penalty associated with it, many expected the teams either to revert to the earlier specifications used up to the Japanese Grand Prix, featuring a more traditional opening mechanism, or to remove the internal actuator while retaining the so-called “Macarena” concept.
However, when the cars appeared in Monaco on Thursday, both Ferrari and Red Bull were still running the flip-wing configuration, confirming that the concept remains part of their aerodynamic package.
That does not mean there are no interesting developments. Ferrari had previously relocated the actuator into the endplates in order to reduce aerodynamic disturbance around the central section of the car. By contrast, Red Bull’s version retained the rear-wing control system in the centre of the assembly.
Taking advantage of the fact that the wings will remain closed throughout the weekend, the Milton Keynes-based team has explored an alternative route. The approach follows a direction already investigated by teams like Alpine, which had worked specifically on that area by adding a small flap at the rear section of the structure.
As can be seen from the available images, the housing that contains Red Bull’s central actuator has not been significantly redesigned compared to recent events. However, using the base wing specification first introduced in Miami, the team has added two supplementary mini-flaps, reminiscent of the old monkey-seat solutions: one positioned at the front and another at the rear of the housing.
The goal is straightforward — to generate pure aerodynamic downforce on a circuit where rear-end stability is absolutely crucial.
Yet that is not the only surprise. A further central aerodynamic element has appeared on the final flap, similar to a solution first seen on Ferrari during the Monza filming day ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. The component exploits an area of the regulations that remains relatively unrestricted and can therefore be used to generate additional downforce.
Looking at the various configurations visible throughout the pit lane, including those adopted by several other teams, it is clear that the FIA’s decision to keep the wings closed has encouraged engineers to think creatively. Rather than simply accepting the limitation, teams have explored alternative aerodynamic paths in an effort to recover performance and maximise downforce around the unique challenge of Monaco.
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