F1 flexible wings, cyclical controversy
Years go by, regulations change, but in F1 certain debates remain eternal. This is the case of the controversy over flexible wings that in recent weeks has put the spotlight back on McLaren and Mercedesboth protagonists of a sensational comeback against Red Bull and Ferrari since the beginning of the championship. It has been discussed for days, so much so that the FIA has just issued an official statement. In reality, it is an issue that is several years old: searching on the internet, it is not difficult to come across an old video from 2015 in which Lewis Hamilton jumps on the front wing of the Mercedes W05 in order to demonstrate how solid the aerodynamic profiles used in F1 are.
But it had been talked about years before, when the Red Bull of the era of Sebastian Vettel’s series triumphs had been accused of having a “rubber nose”. Or in 2021 when, in the midst of the duel of the century between Hamilton himself and Max Verstappen, the FIA had tightened the controls during the championship, in an attempt to prevent anyone from managing to bypass the technical checks.
What the regulation says
The issue, in short, is well known. While the regulation literally prohibits Formula 1 single-seaters from using active aerodynamics, excluding the legality of aerodynamic profiles that move or change their position while driving, Teams sometimes find innovative methods or materials to evade controls. It happens that the same ailerons that pass the stewards’ checks – which are carried out by applying weights when stationary – then seem almost elastic on the track. All machines are perfectly legalbut at the same time they betray the philosophy of a regulation that prohibits active aerodynamics. And you can perceive it directly with the naked eye, from the on-board cameras that clearly show how the flaps of the front wings are heavily deformed by the “thrust” exerted by the air at high speeds.
Horner’s Threat
It’s a story that concerns practically all the teams, which in one way or another manage to flex the wings of their cars. But it’s also true that not all of them exploit the phenomenon in the same way. Indeed, It seems that McLaren and Mercedes have found some extra advantages compared to their opponents, so much so that all the team principals in the paddock stood up. It is therefore no coincidence that, in the post-Monza press conference, Christian Horner declared that he had confidence in the work of the Federation while threatening to “having to work in that direction” unless there is a crackdown to ban flexible wings.
Why McLaren has an edge
But why do McLaren and Mercedes benefit so much from the flexing of their front wings? It’s not just a matter of top speed, which obviously increases because the flaps deform, decreasing drag. It’s mainly a question of aerodynamic load and balance between the front and rear axles.: if at high speeds – and therefore also in fast corners such as the Parabolica at Monza or Pouhon at Spa – the wings flex, the generation of downforce is entrusted mainly to the floor and the rear wing.
This is therefore an advantage for drivers who, having a more stable rear end, do not suffer from oversteer and can therefore press on the accelerator pedal earlier. At the same time, however, in slow corners the front wing does not flex, it returns to its original position and therefore generates more downforce: which means that the driver has a very “pointed” front end, reactive and sensitive to steering. And he does not have to fight against annoying understeer.
Red Bull’s difficulties
This is where we start to read a part of the problems faced by Max Verstappen in the last GPs: to have more confidence in the fast corners, the Dutchman is forced to choose a more unloaded front wingbut then has to fight with the steering wheel to be able to turn in the slow sections (like the long turn-10 at Zandvoort). Which, in turn, causes other problems: lap after lap the car slides more and more, with obvious negative repercussions on the management and on the operating window of the tyres. Problems that, on the other hand, those who have wings that flex effectively at high speeds do not have to worry about. It is therefore inevitable that the FIA has turned the spotlight on the issue, using for some races now some special cameras to monitor the deformation of the ailerons on track.
FIA postpones to 2025
The problem for Verstappen and Horner is that, by the Federation’s own admission, it will not be possible to intervene before next season, even if the study of the deformations that began in Spa will end in Singapore, between two GPs.If necessary – he said Nikolas Tombazis in Monza – we will react, but it will not be before 2025. An intervention would in fact have an impact not only on the aerodynamics but also on the structure of some components. And even if we changed the rules today, the teams would not be able to adapt before Abu Dhabi (the last race of the year, ed.)”. While preferring an immediate abolition of the flexible wings, Red Bull could therefore be forced to work to introduce a wing as effective as the McLaren one (budget cap permitting). On the other hand, defending the two world titles could prove to be a much more complex undertaking than one might have thought at the start of the season…
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