Red Bull and Ferrari against McLaren’s flexible wings: “Rules are clear, the FIA has a problem”. The new controversy in the paddock concerns the front wings.

Watch out for flexible wings

The controversy for the second part of the 2024 Formula 1 season is already set. The performance supremacy of McLaren – for now not always accompanied by results – as well as the exploits of Mercedes have raised the antennas of Ferrari and Red Bull leaders. The issue is always the same, almost as if the F1 paddock cyclically returns to square one: despite passing the static checks of the International Federation, the wings flex at high speeds, giving extra speed to teams that can exploit the characteristics of certain innovative materials. A way to circumvent FIA regulations that prohibit active aerodynamics (at least until 2026), obtaining competitive advantages on the track.

The Federation’s concern

This is why, from time to time, curious colored dots appear on the front and rear wings of Formula 1 cars, useful for verifying the level of flexion of the aerodynamic profiles even with normal on-board cameras. Despite the ongoing study phase, the FIA does not seem to be planning to intervene mid-season, unlike what was done in 2021. At that time, in the midst of the battle at the top between Hamilton and Verstappen, the commissioners had tightened the controls, albeit with little concrete success since everyone still passed the technical inspections.

Christian Horner speaks

A matter that worries Christian Horner: even the wings of the RB20 flex at high speed, but the impression is that the Milton Keynes team is not fully exploiting the benefits of the phenomenon. Not surprisingly, in the press conference after the Italian GP at Monza, the Red Bull pit wall boss addressed the issue, saying that the FIA has a significant problem to solve: “The rules are very clear, which is why I think the Federation has a problem. Obviously, there are checks that are passed without issues, but then you also have to look at the wording of the regulations (which states that the wings must not flex).”

“If you remember,” Horner added, “even in 2021, around Baku, there was a change in direction regarding the rules on front wings. And even though we passed the tests, there was a lot of talk about the elasticity of the materials. It’s a problem for the FIA, and we’ll let them solve it. We trust that they will be able to do so; otherwise, we’ll have to work on improving in that direction.”

Fred Vasseur dodges the question

A topic certainly much discussed in the Formula 1 paddock, about which Fred Vasseur was also questioned. The Ferrari team principal, who in a press conference in the red hospitality after Charles Leclerc’s victory in the Italian Grand Prix repeatedly said he wanted to enjoy the celebration for the win without thinking about anything else, dodged the question: “I don’t want to talk about it with you (journalists). But it is a conversation I will have with Nikolas Tombazis and the FIA. We have to respect their decisions, but we will still discuss it with the Federation.” – the French manager pointed out.