Effect of F1 flexi-wing clampdown “impossible to predict”

The impact of Components 1’s scheduled clampdown on flexi-wings at this 12 months’s Spanish Grand Prix has acquired blended predictions from McLaren’s Zak Brown and Crimson Bull’s Christian Horner.

The FIA initially vowed not to make any changes to its flex tests following its “data-gathering train” final season – which concerned placing cameras on choose vehicles to completely assess the scope of how groups have been implementing aeroelasticity into their packages.

However this strategy modified over the low season, the place the governing physique elected to introduce extra stringent rear wing flex exams from the opening spherical of the season, staggering that with harsher tests for the front wings in Spain.

This adopted lobbying final season from Ferrari and Crimson Bull, who asserted that McLaren and Mercedes have been the primary beneficiaries of flexing entrance wings.

Ferrari and Crimson Bull are understood to have launched flexing entrance wings later into the season, with blended outcomes; Ferrari loved a surge in late-season type, whereas Crimson Bull struggled with steadiness within the third quarter of the 12 months.

“I do not assume it is a vital change for us,” stated McLaren CEO Zak Brown.

“I feel it is too laborious to inform who wins or loses over it, as a result of I do not assume it may be a fabric change for anyone.

“I am not anticipating there to be a winner and loser, or some change within the pecking order at the moment due to that change.”

Crimson Bull crew principal Christian Horner reckons will probably be “unimaginable to foretell” if there are any massive modifications on account of the flexi-wing clampdown, and likewise questioned the timing of the regulatory change.

He confirmed that this might imply groups would successfully run two entrance wing constructions, and exploit the present laws till Spain the place they’ll then convert to a extra inflexible specification.

“Yeah, it will be attention-grabbing the impact that it has – I assume the slight oddball about it’s the timing of it,” stated Horner. “Why race 9? It might need been higher to have been addressed in the course of the off season, as a result of you find yourself doing type of two specs of wings.

“However who will acquire or who will lose from it, I feel, is unimaginable to foretell.”

The present laws state that the entrance and rear wings could not flex by greater than a most of 15mm, though the clarification over the principles is known to have introduced this all the way down to 10mm.