F1’S FLEXIBLE DEBATE

While their drivers will be battling in qualifying and the race during this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, some of their F1 bosses are doing their own battling off the track.

At the centre of the debate is how, when and why the FIA will be enforcing rules to diminish the aerodynamic advantages of flexing rear wings, and also what it is going to cost the teams to comply with the changes.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton pointed out during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend that the rear wing on the Red Bull would bend backwards to create less drag on the straights, and then it would move upwards to produce more downforce in the corners.

The FIA, which had already been investigating the issue, issued a technical directive saying that it would impose more stringent tests beginning on 15 June. It relates to Article 3.8 of Formula One’s technical regulations that states that components influencing a car’s aerodynamic performance must be rigidly secured to the entirely sprung part of the car.

This means that the current wings can still be used in the Monaco and Azerbaijan Grands Prix in Baku.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff insisted that it should not take four weeks to make the modifications.

“We have seen in the past that complicated redesigns for teams had a delay,” he said. “It’s clear that, if you have a back-to-back race, or maybe even two weeks (between races) it’s too short for everybody to adjust. But we’re having four weeks to Baku, and it is incomprehensible that, within four weeks, you can’t stiffen-up a rear wing for the track (Baku) that is probably the most affected by flexible rear wings.”

Wolff warned that suspect cars could be protested in Baku. But Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said that the current cars will be legal until 15 June…after the race in Baku.

Furthermore, Horner said there has to be a lead time for significant technical regulation changes.

“You can’t expect parts just to magicked up overnight with the costs that are incurred with that,” he said. “The car complies with the regulations that have been there for the last 18 months or so with these load tests and then the test or the regulation has been changed or the test has been changed and there has to be a notice period for that.”

The budget cap of US$145 million was introduced this year.

“For a team like us that is obviously running up against the cap, then of course strategically you have to make choices,” Horner said. “The impact of something like this is probably about half a million dollars, so that will prevent something else from happening. So that’s the juggling act that we’re now having to make with the budget cap and financial regs.”

Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto acknowledged that Ferrari is currently exploiting the flexibility in its rear wings.

“I think, as all the teams are exploiting somehow what’s possible, and what we believe is right,” he said. “The technical directive is clarifying it furthermore. We will need to slightly adapt, but I don’t think it’s impacting Ferrari much – and certainly on the lap time from what we’ve seen, very, very little. But there are some redesigns which need to be carried over somehow to comply fully to the technical directive. It’s not impacting us much but still a redesign is required.”

Ironically, while most teams will need to stiffen their rear wings, Mercedes will be able to go the other direction.

“We have been left in a limbo for a long time,” Wolff said. “We flagged the flexible rear wing situation last summer, without having received any feedback.

“I understand some of the teams’ frustration when making the concept of this year’s car, that this was an area that should have been tackled much earlier. Yes, we will need to modify our wing. We need to soften it. Our wing is extremely rigid, complying to the famous article 3.8 that it must remain immobile.

“The new test that has been introduced is a half-baked solution which is giving us opportunity, and the whole thing can soften and can bend more in the future.”

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