The FIA says every F1 team’s front wings comply with the 2024 regulations after questions were raised about the legality of McLaren and Mercedes’ designs.
Red Bull and Ferrari claimed the front wings on McLaren and Mercedes’ were not compliant with the rules due to their flexibility, with team principal Christian Horner previously stating they looked “very, very different to the rest of the grid.“
However, in a statement on Tuesday the FIA said that it carried out front wing checks at every race and concluded: “All front wings are currently compliant with the 2024 regulations.”
Questions around the flexibility arose further after an onboard camera at Monza showed McLaren’s front wing bending and the statement was issued in response to the comments made by Horner, the team’s motorsport adviser Helmut Marko and Ferrari’s Frederic Vasseur after Sunday’s Italian Grand Prix.
“The regulations are very clear. That’s an FIA issue. They passed the tests but then you have to look at the wording of the regulations,” Horner said.
“Back in 2021 around Baku time, there was a change to the front wing regulations, even though our wings passed the tests, it was exploiting aeroelasticity.”
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Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says McLaren’s pace was in a different league in Zandvoort.
Vasseur added: “This is a discussion that I don’t want to have with you. I will have it with [FIA single-seater director Nikolas] Tombazis.”
McLaren have developed into arguably the fastest car this season and are now only eight points behind Red Bull in the constructors’ standings.
Mercedes have also come back strongly, winning three times while Red Bull find themselves under pressure and winless since June’s Spanish GP, seven races ago.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc won Sunday’s Italian GP in Monza, beating McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris after a bold one-stop strategy.
Charles Leclerc, Scuderia Ferrari, 1st position, celebrates with his team in Parc Ferme during the Italian GP at Autodromo Nazionale Monza
The FIA’s statement in full
“The FIA is examining front wings at every event with numerous checks (conformity of surfaces, conformity of deflections) with respect to the relevant F1 Technical Regulation. All front wings are currently compliant with the 2024 regulations.
“Since the Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA has acquired additional data during FP1 and FP2 sessions to assess dynamic behaviours through an FIA-mandated video camera which captures areas of the front wing which are not visible through the official FOM cameras.
“This exercise will continue at least up until Singapore to ensure every team will have been running the mandated FIA camera on different types of tracks (low, medium, high and very high downforce).
“This will ensure a large database allowing the FIA to draw the most objective picture of the situation and quantify differences between the various dynamic patterns observed on track.
“No component is infinitely stiff, which is the reason why there are load-deflection tests in the regulations.
“The front wing has been a challenging area throughout the years because the aerodynamic loading patterns between different competitors vary and it is therefore difficult to find a load vector which will cover all types of front-wing construction.
“Other areas of the car, including rear wing and floor edges, have much more consistent aerodynamic loading patterns across the grid, making for a more universal load-deflection test.
“The FIA has the right to introduce new tests if irregularities are suspected. There are no plans for any short-term measures, but we are evaluating the situation with the medium and long-term in mind.”
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