After some teams, apparently Ferrari and Red Bull, wanted more clarification on McLaren and Mercedes’ front wings, the FIA declared that all wings are legal.
Thanks to a camera placed directly behind the front wing, it seemed that the front wings of McLaren and Mercedes were moving too much when reaching high speeds. This matter had already been brought up in the past, and since the Belgian GP, the FIA reinforced the tests on the aforementioned wings to make sure that the tests are actually working.
Furthermore, the FIA added that if further checks showed that the regulations needed any changes, these would be implemented starting in 2025, and not before.
Having a “flexy” wing helps the team have more performance and that is why it is such a big problem in F1 since there are rules that limit how much a wing can flex/move.
As Motorsport.com reported, the rules state that “any part of the trailing edge of any front wing flap may deflect no more than 5mm, when measured along the loading axis, when a 60N point load is applied normal to the flap,” per Article 3.15.5 in the 2024 technical regulations.
Anyway, the FIA released a statement that confirmed that all front wings are compliant with the regulations.
“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 Belgium Grand Prix, the FIA has acquired additional data during FP1 and FP2 sessions to assess dynamic behaviors 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.”
The statement concluded by saying that “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.”