Ferrari and Red Bull embrace FIA’s clarity on flexible wings, shaping crucial upgrades ahead of Barcelona’s pivotal shift in the F1 season.
The FIA’s clarification on flexible wings over the winter has been well received, at least by Ferrari.
While McLaren acknowledged it would have to make adjustments to both its front and rear wings, the Scuderia believes these new tests, announced several months in advance, prevent “chaos in F1.”
That is the view of Fred Vasseur, the team principal, who had already called for clarification during the 2024 season. And after initially being permitted, this development is now being restricted again.
“It’s not a problem for us, and I think it’s good to have a clear idea,” said the Frenchman when asked whether it would impact Ferrari or the plans for the SF-25.
“The most important thing for me is knowing that we have to change something on the front wing by Barcelona. You can debate the timing because it’s the week after Monaco, and you need to go to Monaco with a complete front-wing package, but in the end, it’s fine for us.”
“It’s good for development and planning to know when we need to bring something, and the worst-case scenario would have been starting the season as we are now and then having to change something after two races.”
“It would be much more difficult to plan, and in that case, it would have been a disaster. But honestly, we all know the situation. This prevents chaos in F1.”
“We had planned to introduce a front-wing upgrade during the season, but now we know we have to do it by Barcelona.”
While Christian Horner is also pleased that the FIA has addressed the issue of flexible wings, he is unhappy with the costs involved.
“I think it’s a good thing that they have settled this matter. Clearly, there has been a change and a clarification on the rear wing.”
When asked why the ninth round has been chosen as the target for the new flexible wing parameters, Horner responded: “I don’t know, but that’s how it is. It’s the same for everyone. It simply means you need a set of wings for before and after that race, which will inevitably lead to costs.”
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Barcelona Deadline Looms as F1 Teams Adapt to FIA Ruling Barcelona Deadline Looms as F1 Teams Adapt to FIA Ruling Barcelona Deadline Looms as F1 Teams Adapt to FIA Ruling
