The FIA is pondering whether to take action about potential flexing rear wings in Formula 1 in the wake of the controversy caused by McLaren’s ‘mini-DRS.’
The behaviour of the McLaren rear wing at last weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix came under the spotlight after footage of its behaviour emerged from television coverage of its rearward facing onboard camera.
The top element of the rear wing was observed to rotate back at speed on the straights, and appeared to be designed in such a way that this change in attitude opened up the slot gap.
This will help reduce drag and boost top speed, and it quickly earned the nickname of being like a ‘mini-DRS.’
The McLaren design immediately came under the spotlight from rival squads and it prompted some calls for clarification about what is and is not allowed in terms of the flexibility of rear wings.
Ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, motor racing’s governing body has revealed it is now reviewing evidence it has gathered from Baku to decide if any action needs to be taken.
A statement from the FIA said: “The FIA is closely monitoring the flexibility of bodywork on all cars and reserves the right to request teams to make modifications at any point during the season.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38 rear wing, Azerbaijan GP
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
“However, if a team successfully passes all deflection tests and adheres to the regulations and technical directives, they are deemed to be in full compliance, and no further action will be taken.
“The FIA is currently reviewing data and any additional evidence that has emerged from the Baku GP and is considering any mitigating measures for future implementation.
“This is part of the standard process when scrutineering technical legality, and the FIA retains the authority to introduce regulatory changes during the season if required.”
With the McLaren rear wing having passed the mandatory deflection tests in the pit lane, there is no question that it fully conforms to the current regulations.
However, the debate is about whether deliberately designing a wing to flex in the manner it does goes against FIA guidance in terms of what is deemed to be acceptable flexing.
In a still current technical directive (TD34) from the FIA that offers guidelines on flexing wings, it is made that clear that certain behaviours will not be tolerated even if wings are passed as legal in the pits.
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