The controversy of flexible wings in F1
The controversy over flexible wings in Formula 1 may have reached the next level. To capture the beautiful battle for victory between Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc in the second part of the Azerbaijan GP in Baku, the cameras of F1TV in fact they framed the rear of the Australian driver’s McLaren for a long time, highlighting how it is not just the front wing of the MCL38 that deforms at high speeds. The videos of the phenomenon soon went viral on social networks, with some users even tagging the official account of the Ferrari to push the Maranello team to file an appeal against its rivals.
McLaren video in Baku
But what happened? From the on-board videos of Piastri’s McLaren, you can see how the flap – that is, the upper profile of the rear wing, which usually opens when the Drs system is activated – deforms quite noticeably on the long straight of the Baku track. In fact, as the speed increases, the distance between the flap and the main plane (the lower part) seems to increase and you can see it quite clearly looking at the growing empty space between the two profiles. A movement actually also present on Leclerc’s Ferrari, although in a much less evident way (as you can see from the video below).
The advantage of the flexible rear wing
The advantage of such a movement is very difficult to quantify in terms of lap time, but it is obvious that a flap that deforms on a straight allows for a reduction in drag, resulting in higher top speeds. At the same time, however, it must be remembered that the front and rear wings are always subject to technical checks by the FIA stewards, who Up to this point they have never found any irregularities on either McLaren or any other single-seater on the starting grid. Starting from Spa, however, a study has begun using dedicated cameras to monitor the movements of the front and rear aerodynamic profiles at high speeds, which could push the Federation to tighten controls in 2025.
McLaren is not irregular
While it is true that all teams have always passed the Federation’s static tests – which are carried out by applying forces with the engines off – it is undeniable that the Woking team (and partly also Mercedes) has become a leader in terms of innovation and development in the field of highly resistant materials that are also capable of deforming at high speeds. It is no coincidence that in recent days the Red Bull team principal, Christian Hornerhad explained in a press conference how the flexible wings are “one of those sectors in which, if the FIA does not intervene by changing the rules (and therefore making the controls more stringent, ed.), all other teams will work towards this”.
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