Following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, a race won by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, social media was alit with footage of the MCL38’s rear wing and what was dubbed its ‘mini-DRS’ as it flexed on the straights.
Max Verstappen says the FIA also needs to clarify front wing flexibility
The rear-facing camera angle from Piastri’s car as he defended against Charles Leclerc clearly showed the ‘mini-DRS’ effect that gave the Australian the straight-line speed to hold off Leclerc. Even without the DRS being activated, the rear wing’s flex saw the upper plane of the wing separating slightly from the lower.
The footage resulted in, as McLaren put it, conversations with the FIA after which the Woking team “proactively” changed the wing.
McLaren told the media, including PlanetF1.com: “Whilst our Baku rear wing complies with the regulations and passes all FIA deflection tests, McLaren has proactively offered to make some minor adjustments to the wing following our conversations with the FIA.
“We would also expect the FIA to have similar conversations with other teams in relation to the compliance of their rear wings.”
But according to Verstappen, it’s not just the rear wing that the FIA need to have a closer look at.
“Of course, I’ve seen the footage,” the Red Bull driver said in Singapore. “That’s the beautiful side of social media, right? Everyone has the video ready. And then, of course, a lot of discussion is made.
“I mean, it’s quite clear, of course, that it’s moving, like, it’s at speed. It might be smart, might not be smart, but at the end of the day it’s up to the FIA of course to decide if it’s legal or not right?
“Of course, Baku is not the first time that it was used so there were other tracks as well.
“I guess it’s important to come up with a clarification. But that’s not only on the rear wing, it’s the front wing as well. What is allowed? How much is it allowed to bend? All these kind of things, right?
“So we just have to wait and see.”
Having taken the lead off Red Bull in the Constructors’ Championship in Baku, McLaren CEO Zak Brown was quizzed about the team’s flexible rear wing.
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“It’s passed every single test,” he insisted to Sky. “So I think this is Formula 1, and it’s clever engineering, and the FIA is fine with it. So it’s business as usual.
“They [the FIA] are fully aware of everything that’s on our race car, and they’re comfortable,” he said.
“So I think it’s inevitable, now that we’re leading the championship, that everyone will be looking at our car and go ‘I’m not sure I like that and like that’, and that’s the nature of the game.”
