FIA tightens rear wing rules in Shanghai after suspicions arise from Australia, targeting McLaren, Ferrari, Alpine, and Haas designs.
The FIA has taken a closer look at four Formula 1 teams ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, following suspicions about the flexibility of their rear wings.
McLaren, Ferrari, Alpine, and Haas have all drawn attention from race stewards after video analysis of the Australian Grand Prix raised eyebrows. While all four teams passed technical inspections in Melbourne, the FIA isn’t convinced just yet.
To crack down on so-called “mini-DRS” effects—where rear wings flex subtly to boost straight-line speed without officially activating DRS—the FIA has introduced stricter rear wing flexibility tests starting this weekend.
What’s Changing?
Special rear-facing cameras were fitted to every car to capture wing movement during races. Based on that footage, the FIA has introduced tighter rules:
- Rear wing flaps can now only move up to 0.75 mm under a 75 kg load, with a temporary 0.25 mm tolerance allowed for this race in China.
- That tolerance disappears in Japan, where the limit will drop to just 0.5 mm—no wiggle room.
How Are the Teams Reacting?
Lando Norris was quick to downplay the situation. Speaking during media day in Shanghai, he said McLaren’s current design is already compliant.
“We don’t have to change anything. Ours is fine—probably even too rigid, honestly. We’re not pushing the limits like others might be.”
Charles Leclerc echoed that confidence, saying Ferrari doesn’t need to make any adjustments either.
Pierre Gasly was a bit more cautious:
“I hope we’re okay. We’ll find out this weekend and in the next few races who’s affected and who’s not.”
Ayao Komatsu, Haas F1’s Team Principal, was the most transparent of the bunch.
“We may have to tweak the setup slightly, but we don’t need to redesign anything,” he confirmed.
As F1 heads into a more regulated era of aerodynamic design, expect teams to continue walking a fine line between innovation and regulation.
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McLaren – Ferrari Under FIA Scrutiny for Flexi Wings McLaren – Ferrari Under FIA Scrutiny for Flexi Wings
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