In Singapore, thanks to the upgrade made on the track by Mercedes, we returned to talking about flexible wings. The offending specification concerns the front part. From the cameras, during boarding, a notable movement of the flaps was immediately noticed and, thus, the debate was reignited.
However, the theme does not exist, or rather has no reason to exist. We should stop talking about irregular solutions which, however, somehow manage to pass the checks. At the Spanish GP, the FIA established a new procedure, using TD018, to verify the technical specifications of the teams. Mercedes has passed all the checks and with that it is regular.
The new front wing is the result of meticulous development in the field of materials. The team found a way to arrange the carbon fibres in such a way that they passed the controls and bent sharply when subjected to some air pressure. In theory the case should be closed in itself.
Minor teams always pay the price
However, there is a feeling that this issue will not end like this. The problem of wing flexion has already led over the years to various regulatory changes, to various repressive measures in terms of FIA lateral controls, but it is clear that this procedural choice does nothing but encourage teams to spend hours in the laboratory to study new technologies of production and development of materials. Regulatory changes, implemented in this way, only help teams with more manpower and resources spend additional time and money at the expense of smaller teams.
F1 hide behind the budget ceiling, but such decisions only go against the system. The more the FIA blocks bend, the more a way will be found to stiffen the component to pass the controls and maintain the same deformation at the same time. We do not know this, but it could also be a strange ploy to promote research and development.
A beautiful thing in itself. It's a shame that it's always the smaller teams that lose out, tying them to the back of the grid for no apparent reason. The FIA forced all teams to adapt to the TD018 in Spain (GP held on 1° June 2025), resulting in a considerable waste of money and resources, only to find themselves, almost exactly 4 months later, having to deal with a team in possession of a flexible winger. TD018 was a disgrace to the smaller teams.
Mercedes did a great job and they deserve our compliments. However, simply talking about regularity, now, is superfluous.
Photo: Mercedes
Read in italian version: Ali flessibili: superfluo parlare di regolarità, la TD018 è stata uno sgarbo
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