FIA reinforces rear wing deformation tests from next Grand Prix
The FIA has announced a new amendment to its technical regulations concerning rear wing deflection in Formula 1. After analyzing the deformations observed on track at the Australian Grand Prix and static tests carried out in the FIA garage, the governing body has deemed it necessary to tighten the requirements for teams.
During the Australian F1 Grand Prix, the FIA continued its tests on the flexibility of the front and rear wings. Indeed, for several months, the FIA has had doubts about compliance with the regulations regarding the “rigidity” principle of wings and believes that some teams could be accused of using “moveable appendages” as they can sometimes alter the wing profile at very high speeds (over 250km/h).
Thus, in Melbourne, the FIA deemed it necessary to toughen the tests starting from the next Grand Prix in China in order to force the teams to be ready to apply the new regulations by the 9th Grand Prix of the season, in Spain: « After analyzing the images of the rear wing deformations, combined with the static deflection measurements carried out in the FIA garage in Melbourne, the Federation concluded that there was sufficient evidence to justify the introduction of a stricter test on the upper rear wing starting from the next Grand Prix in China. »
A strengthened regulatory framework
In accordance with article 3.15.1 of the Technical Regulations, the FIA has the power to modify or introduce new load and deformation tests on certain parts of the cars. For the front wing, a first tightening will be applied starting from the Spanish Grand Prix (9th round of the season). As for the upper and lower rear wings (beam wing), more rigorous tests are being implemented immediately.
A more demanding test for the rear wing
The FIA introduced a new static test at the Chinese Grand Prix to control the excessive flexibility of rear wings. According to article 3.15.17 of the 2025 regulations, if a vertical load of 75 kg is applied to one end of the main plane of the wing, the gap between the main plane and the flap (slot gap) must not vary by more than 0.5 mm. An additional tolerance of 0.25 mm will be exceptionally granted for the Shanghai race, given the short implementation timeline.
Validated tests in Australia
Despite the introduction of these new restrictions, the FIA confirmed that all the cars that participated in the Australian Grand Prix were compliant with the regulations in effect at that time. The teams were informed of these changes on Monday, March 17, leaving them little room to adapt their aerodynamic designs.
This reinforcement of controls is part of the FIA’s desire to limit strategies exploiting regulatory tolerances and to ensure better technical fairness between teams.
