The FIA has released a statement saying that all 2024 Formula 1 front wings are currently legal and have been proven to comply with the governing body’s tests.
After the Italian Grand Prix, it emerged that Ferrari and Red Bull wanted a more thorough investigation into the legality of McLaren and Mercedes’ front wings. This came after onboard camera footage showed an increased degree of movement in the wing designs over the weekend.
Since the Belgian GP, the FIA has been monitoring the movement of the front wings with cameras to determine whether the current flex tests are fit for purpose or whether they need to be revised. The FIA has reiterated that this is a data collection exercise, rather than a survey of teams.
When introducing these additional controls, the FIA stated that it would not seek to change any regulations this season; rather, any rule changes, if deemed necessary, would only be introduced from 2025 onwards.
Engineers have often attempted to introduce aeroelasticity into the aerodynamics of the regulations, as it can often be used to reduce straight-line drag, provided it passes the FIA load tests. It is clear that introducing a small amount of flex into the front wing is beneficial to the current regulations, as it can help to resolve the balancing difficulties posed by the reintroduction of ground effect floors.
In a statement on Tuesday, the governing body stressed that all the wings on the grid are legal: “The FIA examines the front wings at each event with numerous checks (surface compliance, compliance of deflections) against the relevant F1 technical regulations. Currently all front wings are compliant with the 2024 regulation.”
Front wing McLaren MCL38, Italian GP
Photo by: George Piola
“Since the Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA has acquired additional data during FP1 and FP2 sessions to evaluate the dynamic behaviours through a video camera requested by the FIA which captures areas of the front wing not visible through the official FOM cameras.”
“This will continue at least until Singapore, to ensure that all teams use the FIA camera on different track types (low, medium, high and very high downforce). This will ensure a large data base that will allow the FIA to paint the most objective picture possible of the situation and to quantify the differences between the various dynamic models observed on track.”
The regulation adds that “no component is infinitely rigid” and this allows for a small amount of deflection under a given load. The rules state that “any part of the trailing edge of a front wing flap may not deflect more than 5 mm, measured along the load axis, when a point load of 60 N is applied normally to the flap,” according to Article 3.15.5 of the 2024 Technical Regulations.
The FIA added that “the front wing has been a challenging area over the years, as the downforce patterns between different competitors vary and it is therefore difficult to find a load carrier that covers all types of front wing construction.”
“Other areas of the car, including the rear wing and the outer floor, have much more uniform downforce patterns across the grid, making the load and flex test more universal. The FIA has the right to introduce new tests if irregularities are suspected. There are no short-term measures planned, but we are evaluating the situation from a medium to long-term perspective.”
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