FIA cannot stop front wing flexing until 2025

Sep.4 (GMM) Formula 1’s governing body has given the controversial front wing designs of the rapidly-improved McLaren and Mercedes teams a clean bill of health.

The steadily less competitive Red Bull team, and also Ferrari, have questioned whether their top rivals’ front wing designs flex too much beyond the spirit of the current regulations.

It’s not a new issue in 2024. At recent grands prix, the FIA has been placing mandatory cameras on the wings to check the way they move at speed.

Auto Motor und Sport says Nikolas Tombazis, the governing body’s single seater director, has confirmed that those tests will continue until Singapore.

But even if something is ultimately found, Tombazis warns: “We will not react until 2025 at the earliest, if it becomes necessary.

“It would have too much impact not only on the aerodynamics, but also on the structure of the parts,” he added. “So even if we were to announce a new rule today, the teams would not be ready before Abu Dhabi.”

At the very same time, the FIA has issued a media statement this week to insist that the current designs on the McLaren and Mercedes cars are fully legal.

However, the Paris-based federation acknowledges the controversy.

“The front wing has been a challenging area throughout the years because the aerodynamic loading patterns between different competitors vary and it is therefore difficult to find a load vector which will cover all types of front-wing construction,” the statement reads.

“Other areas of the car, including rear wing and floor edges, have much more consistent aerodynamic loading patterns across the grid, making for a more universal load-deflection test.

“The FIA has the right to introduce new tests if irregularities are suspected,” the FIA added. “There are no plans for any short-term measures, but we are evaluating the situation with the medium and long-term in mind.”

Auto Motor und Sport claims the McLaren and Mercedes-style 2024 wings are “particularly innovative”, as they bend “twice” – the flaps folding backwards, and then the “entire wing rotating around the horizontal axis”.

So for Red Bull, it is a currently a case of needing to follow the leader.

“We’ll have to build a wing like that too,” team boss Christian Horner confirmed.