For Frédéric Vasseur, the Spanish Grand Prix could be the turning point of the season

A shaken hierarchy this weekend? That’s what some paddock rumors suggest and what some drivers hope for, like Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque, struggling with his car since the start of the season, clings to these rumors and hopes that some teams will suffer more than others from this change. His boss has even gone further. For him, this Barcelona Grand Prix could be a turning point in the championship and for the rest of the season.

A finding explained by an event occurring this weekend: the introduction of a new technical directive, TD018, concerning flexible front wings. Some teams play with the limit and use these appendages to reduce drag on the straights. With the help of the wind, these wings flatten, allowing the car to gain several km/h. Conversely, in the corners, these front wings rise, and the car maintains sufficient aerodynamic downforce. If the FIA had been lenient last season, it has decided to take action in 2025.

The FIA toughens its tests in 2025

From the beginning of the season in Australia and Japan, technical tests were conducted to assess the rigidity of the rear wings. This decision followed the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where footage was released showing the rear wing of Oscar Piastri’s McLaren to be particularly flexible, especially at the lower corners of the upper flap. This had allowed him to gain some speed on the straight, and he subsequently won the race.

This weekend, the FIA decided to address the front wings, an essential part of a Formula 1 car as they generate a significant portion of the aerodynamic downforce and direct airflow to the rest of the vehicle. Starting this weekend, the tolerance threshold for this flexibility will be lowered from 15 mm to 10 mm. This will require all ten teams to make modifications to their wings, which could also affect the behavior of their cars.

Less flexibility on the wings: a disrupted hierarchy?

McLaren is particularly targeted. The British team, a solid leader in the constructors’ championship with a 172-point lead over Mercedes and leading the drivers’ standings with Oscar Piastri, is the one that seems to have played the most with this flexibility. The team from Woking has nevertheless stated that this would not change anything for them, unlike Ferrari. The Italian team, experiencing a difficult start to the campaign (only two podiums in eight races), sees these new regulations as an opportunity to rejoin the battle.

The leader of the Maranello team, Frédéric Vasseur, indicated after the Monaco Grand Prix that the team has been working on a new front wing for ages. For the Frenchman, this new rule can shake up the hierarchy and revive this championship. “I think Barcelona is on the radar of the entire paddock with the new front wing regulation. We’ve been working on it for a very long time now, and it can be a turning point for everyone because we don’t know the impact of this rule on each team. I think we’ll focus on that, to make the most of the new front wing,” he mentioned to the media, including PlanetF1.com.

An opportunity for Ferrari to catch up

For his part, Charles Leclerc, who finished second in the Grand Prix last weekend in the Principality, was more reserved. “I really hope so, but I don’t know. I don’t know to what extent the others depend on it. We hear rumors in the paddock, and some teams will be more affected than others, that’s for sure. I don’t think it will change much for us, but we’ll see.”

Despite everything, Ferrari hopes that this new regulation will be a game changer and allow them to catch up with McLaren. After a Monaco Grand Prix that disappointed in terms of spectacle, the Spanish Grand Prix could be an opportunity to see a new driver win… and why not Ferrari, as they are still searching for their first victory in 2025.