Flexible front wings, how many suspects
In recent days it has emerged that Red Bull has targeted McLaren, Ferrari and above all Mercedes for the elasticity of the front wing. The suspicion of the team directed by Christian Horner is that behind the recent performance recovery of Toto Wolff’s men there is a particular interpretation of this gray area of the regulation, which evaluates the elasticity of these aerodynamic appendages with loads of 60 newtons in several points to still and a tolerated deformation of 3 millimeters is verified. It is therefore thought that there is a sort of trick that could allow these wings to flex much more than the margin allowed once on the track and that this is able to guarantee a better overall balance to the cars on every curve.
Wolff’s response
Toto Wolff, Mercedes team principal and co-owner, responded to a direct question on the topic at the press conference: “Aerodynamic elasticity plays an important role, but so does the bottom. I believe it’s always a combination of factors. You can have a front wing that flexes like a banana and passes the test, but then the rest of the car can malfunction as the parts interact. I think everyone tries to push the limits, but respect the regulations.”
Marko’s suspicions
Helmut Marko in recent days he has not denied having had the Mercedes front wing in his sights, highlighting “the notable decline seen at the Canadian GP“. The Austrian is back in charge in Barcelona too, as he explained to ORF: “I gave myself a new task this weekend. I will look at the Mercedes more closely. The flexible front wing is a big deal, and I want it make sure that everything goes according to the regulations“.
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