The FIA checked the wings of McLaren and Mercedes and they are compliant

During the Grand Prix of Italy, the flexibility of the front wings of the Mercedes W15 and the McLaren MCL38 had sparked a debate. Several team managers had communicated about this, including Helmut Marko who had asked the FIA to investigate both cars. Following criticism from Red Bull and Ferrari, who had also participated in the controversy, the FIA issued a statement to clarify the situation.

Surveillance is required.

McLaren has experienced impressive progress in the last few Grand Prix races. By placing at least one of their drivers on the podium, they have also raised concerns from other teams. This week, Helmut Marko, Christian Horner, and Fred Vasseur have communicated about a possible breach of current regulations. The controversy concerns the front wings of the orange and black McLaren and Mercedes cars. According to several rumors, they are not complying with the imposed flexibility limit.

During the press conference after the Grand Prix, Fred Vasseur notably announced that he would discuss this with the FIA. While he still admitted that he would respect the conclusion reached by the commissioners, this did not prevent him from making it clear that he was not willing to let the teams slip through the net. On his side, Christian Horner was less accusatory. Although he acknowledged that the FIA would need to pay attention to it, he admits that it is mainly a question of the wording of regulations.

Despite concerns raised by some teams, the FIA wanted to communicate about the results of its investigations. The organization, responsible for enforcing the rules in several motor sports, confirmed that all teams are currently compliant with the requirements of 2024. The front wings in question have passed the standard resistance tests, designed to ensure that the elements meet the necessary safety and performance criteria.

Everyone is in order

In a detailed statement, the FIA acknowledged that the front wings represent a challenging area due to the numerous variations in teams’ aerodynamic choices. Although this element of the single-seater is difficult to regulate, it nevertheless confirmed that all teams on the grid were within the required standard. If the FIA was able to react so quickly, it is because it has already been carrying out regular checks since the beginning of the season. After an initial seizure during the Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA has implemented additional checks on the cars.

During Free Practice 1 and 2, she had notably used video cameras to monitor the behaviors of the components on several cars. She will implement the same monitoring until the Singapore Grand Prix which will take place at the end of the month. After collecting a database on the front wings in different conditions, the FIA concluded that all the cars analyzed were compliant. The FIA inspects the front wings before each event with numerous checks (surface compliance, deformation compliance) in accordance with the current F1 technical regulations. All front wings are currently compliant with the 2024 regulations, it read.

The FIA emphasized that, although no immediate changes or additional tests are planned at the moment, the situation will be continuously evaluated to avoid possible cheating. The organization reserves the right to carry out new tests in case of suspicions. For now, it is mainly focusing on data collection to ensure better monitoring of the issue. “The FIA reserves the right to introduce new tests if irregularities are suspected. There are no plans for short-term measures, but we are assessing the situation with the medium and long term in mind,” she said.

As the season progresses, teams will be able to closely follow the results as they will be made public. For the time being, no penalties or reminders of the regulations will be applied to McLaren or Mercedes. With the gap starting to shrink between the leaders of the championship, all teams want to know McLaren’s secret to achieving the same success. With approval from the FIA, other teams can only rely on their performance to outpace Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri’s McLarens.