The FIA begins its investigation into front wings this weekend
For the Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA has decided to start observing front wings after some teams made improvements that flirted with the limits of the regulations. This weekend, Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren were selected for front wing testing.
The FIA is launching a thorough investigation this weekend into the front wings of certain single-seaters that are deemed too flexible, a violation of current regulations. This initiative comes in the midst of an increasingly competitive season, where every tenth of a second matters, pushing teams to innovate while flirting with the boundaries of the regulations.
Developments regarding the front wings have caught the attention of the FIA. Some teams have introduced highly flexible devices to enhance the aerodynamic load of their cars, a practice normally deemed illegal by the FIA.
For this reason, the FIA has announced the installation of additional cameras on certain cars during the Belgian Grand Prix to analyze these innovations in depth. This decision comes despite the fact that all teams had been judged to comply with the regulations regarding the flexibility of their wings before.
Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren observed in Belgium
This weekend, three top teams, namely Mercedes, Ferrari, and McLaren, were selected by the FIA to be equipped with new cameras. These cameras will measure the stiffness of the front wings, according to Nikolas Tombazis, FIA’s head of single-seaters.
« From Belgium and for an indefinite period, the FIA will measure the overall deformation of the front wing on the track. The goal is to measure all front wings using a camera installed on the car’s nose providing a side view,” explains Tombazis. « The data collected will be used to improve understanding of the flexibility of the bodywork when defining future regulations. »
The cameras, with a diameter of 20 cm, will be operational for more than 50% of the timed laps, allowing for in-depth analysis by the FIA. This initiative is respected by all teams, including Mercedes. Andrew Shovlin, track engineering director of the German team, confirmed the presence of these cameras on the W15 and is not worried about this check, being certain that the rules have been followed.
« They are there », Shovlin commented. « We have no concerns about flexibility because, as with any part of the car subject to a deflection test, it is designed to pass the test. This activity is data collection. They are trying to understand what the entire grid does in terms of stiffness and flexibility on the track. We will help them in this process, we will collect the data and see what happens next. But we are not concerned about regulations. »
Besides Mercedes, cameras were spotted in the pit lane at Ferrari, McLaren, as well as on Red Bull, Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin and Nico Hülkenberg’s Haas. Due to a lack of cameras, the FIA will not be able to inspect all the teams this weekend, but hopes to do so in the upcoming Grand Prix.
This FIA initiative aims to ensure that all teams comply with the technical regulations regarding the flexibility of front wings. Through more rigorous inspections and detailed data, the FIA hopes to maintain fairness and competition within Formula 1 and prevent some from taking advantage of it to not comply with the rules.
