Spanish Grand Prix: FIA toughens front wing flexibility tests
This weekend in Barcelona, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is introducing a new battery of stiffness tests for front wings. A technical decision that could reshuffle the deck, targeting those teams that have most exploited the controlled deformation of aerodynamic appendages.
It’s a subtle change, but one with significant consequences: starting from the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix, front wings must now meet stricter rigidity criteria. The FIA is implementing this tightening under articles 3.15.4 and 3.15.5 of the technical regulations, with more demanding mechanical tests.
Three types of tests are involved:
-Une force verticale de 1000 N est désormais tolérée pour une déformation de 15 mm au lieu de 20 mm.
-Avec deux charges symétriques de 1000 N, la déformation maximale passe de 15 mm à 10 mm.
-Enfin, une force de 60 N appliquée sur les flaps supérieurs ne devra plus provoquer plus de 3 mm de flexion, contre 5 mm auparavant.
This latest test is the most revealing, according to experts, as onboard cameras have often shown the upper flaps lowering at high speed and then rising during braking, an aeroelastic behavior that actively alters the car’s behavior, despite the regulations.
Fins that flex without breaking the rules
This tightening is no surprise. For a year, flexible wings have flourished in the paddock with a specific goal: to generate downforce at low speed without penalizing the car at high speed, where an excess load can lead to oversteer or drag.
Engineers have therefore developed solutions that subtly flex according to speed, exploiting the mechanical properties of carbon. These parts were not mobile in the strict sense, which allowed them to pass the FIA tests in force until now. However, sensors and cameras used since Spa 2024 have highlighted excessive deformations, particularly on the flaps.
Some teams like Red Bull and Ferrari have even approached the FIA multiple times, convinced that rivals were taking advantage of regulatory grey areas to gain performance.
Who could lose or win with these new rules?
This new framework could do more harm than good to certain teams. Those that have heavily invested in aeroelasticity, such as Mercedes or McLaren, may need to significantly modify the design of their front wings.
On the other hand, Red Bull and Ferrari, which have retained stiffer solutions, should be less affected or even advantaged in the short term. Although most engineers assure that their equipment is compliant, the margin of maneuver is reduced, and the teams will have to prove their good faith in the face of more intrusive tests.
According to the FIA, the teams had three months to adapt their designs, a timeframe considered sufficient. But in a discipline where every millimeter counts, this evolution could impact the overall balance of the cars.
A technical war reignited in Barcelona
On the surface, nothing seems to change. But beneath the exteriors, the ultra-precise world of aerodynamics is undergoing a transformation. This measure, imposed after months of monitoring, could challenge certain balances. And it might, perhaps, offer an opportunity to the most rigorous teams. On a track as comprehensive as Barcelona’s, the technical truth will be revealed in the lap times and in the dust raised by those who poorly anticipated.
Ce WE là nouvelle TD sur les ailerons avant entre en vigueur
C’est quitte ou double soit on s’en tire pas trop mal avec notre nouvel aileron additionné au reste du package qui arrive à Barcelone
Soit on se fait foudroyé par la TD et la saison va être longue#F1 #SpanishGP pic.twitter.com/nT4EzPkG2U
— Mercedes-AMG F1 Fan France🇨🇵 (@MercedesFRteam) May 28, 2025
