The FIA has asked McLaren to review its controversial rear wing design, which many rival teams said gave it an unfair advantage. The news came after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where McLaren’s mini-DRS came under intense scrutiny despite passing all static tests and regulatory checks.
Since the Silverstone team’s impressive performance at the Baku circuit, rival teams have raised concerns about McLaren’s rear wing, particularly its upper element which appeared to pivot and open up space in certain conditions, allowing air to pass through it and reduce drag. While the FIA’s investigation confirmed that the design met the requirements of static testing, it has requested changes to limit the flexing of the upper element seen during racing. This may come as a surprise because, as I said, the FIA has deemed the wing entirely legal based on its testing.
The FIA’s position is nevertheless consistent with its desire to ensure that aerodynamic components, including wings, comply strictly with the regulations, even under the influence of secondary parameters such as aerodynamic load and temperature. FIA Technical Directive TD34 specifies that any design that modifies its structural performance in relation to these secondary parameters to achieve different track deflections is considered illegal.
The industry has seen similar controversies before, most notably with flexible front wings. However, the debate over flexible rear wings is a relatively new area. McLaren’s rear wing directive, while flexible when stationary, addresses concerns about potential performance gains derived from structural flex during racing. An anonymous team boss explained the ongoing challenge of regulating aero components in motorsport, tell Motorsport.com the following:
“Aerodynamic elasticity has been a factor for many years, and even if a wing passes the FIA test, the regulations are very clear: the component cannot be designed to flex. We rely on the FIA to tell us what the limits of this flexibility are. Of course, everything will flex to some extent, but what is acceptable and what is not?”
Amid the FIA’s grim decision, concern is growing among the teams competing. The possibility that McLaren’s design, if left unchecked, could spark an arms race to push the boundaries of the regulations is a worrying prospect for some teams. And while it may be seen as loophole exploitation by some, others see it as a form of cheating.
“We’re starting to see extreme situations being exploited again, and I think it’s up to the FIA to decide whether that’s acceptable, in which case everyone will get to work, or whether, under the regulations as they stand, that’s compliant?” another unnamed team boss said via the same Motorsport.com report.
“There’s a big spread of what’s out there at the moment, obviously a lot of interest in the McLaren rear wing after Baku and there’s performance in that, of course. That’s why everyone’s chasing it. But you just have to know what’s reasonable and what’s ridiculous.”
The FIA’s decision could see the standards for aerodynamic design revised, ensuring that teams comply not only with static controls but also with the regulatory intent in dynamic conditions. Unfortunately, this risks putting a damper on the recent innovation we have seen. It is fair to say that the FIA wants everything to be as straight as an arrow, something that F1 teams have a knack for avoiding.
