FIA to use new video checks for F1 flexi wing tricks at Belgian GP

Selected Formula 1 teams will have to fit new video cameras for practice at the Belgian Grand Prix as part of an FIA investigation into flexi wings tricks, Autosport can reveal.

The increasing use by teams of flexible front wing designs to better balance their cars has come under the spotlight over recent weeks, with some squads questioning how far rivals are pushing it.

Up until now, the FIA had been satisfied that the behaviour of the front wings was in compliance with the regulations, and felt that current static tests were enough to control it.

But it has emerged that earlier this week the FIA informed teams that it will be taking action to get a better understanding of the situation – with new analysis to be done at next week’s Belgian Grand Prix.

It is not clear how many teams will be selected for the FIA checks, but frontrunners including Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren are all believed to be exploiting such concepts to a greater or lesser degree.

In a technical directive sent to all competitors from FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis, the teams were notified that the Friday practice sessions at Spa-Francorchamps will be used by the governing body to capture detailed video footage of what some front wings are doing.

In the note, a copy of which has been seen by Autosport, Tombazis has said that “selected teams will be required to fit their cars with additional wireless recording cameras”.

The location of these cameras has been specified by the FIA and will be “focused on the inboard facing nominally vertical surfaces…to track the translation and rotation of target dots”.

It goes on to specify where these dots – which must be 20mm across, of a single colour and stand out from the bodywork – must be positioned.

A series of dots will be placed on the inside of the endplate, to help check on any rotation of the front wing itself.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

Further dots will be placed at the edges of the flaps – both towards the endplate and by the nose section, to check on any flexibility of these elements.

The tests will take place on the opening day of running at Spa-Francorchamps, with cars reverting to their more traditional location of cameras for FP3 onwards.

The gathering of the information from teams…