Flexi-gate: Steiner blasts rival teams after McLaren’s Barcelona double

Despite tighter controls on the front aerodynamics, McLaren dominated the Spanish Grand Prix. Günther Steiner accuses the plaintiffs of unintentionally favouring the British team.

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A regulatory tightening… without effect on McLaren. While the FIA implemented stricter tests in Barcelona to limit the flexibility of front wings in Formula 1, McLaren responded on the track in the most spectacular way: securing the front row in qualifying and a one-two finish in the race, their third of the season. An unstoppable result that did not escape Günther Steiner, the former Haas team boss, who criticized the teams behind the complaints.

« They complained, but what did they get? Nothing. They gave an extra advantage to McLaren », he denounced on The Red Flags Podcast.

Steiner: « There was no waste of money »

The tightened regulations on flexi-wings, which McLaren was suspected of benefiting from, were supposed to level the performances. Red Bull hoped for a decline in the English team’s performance. This did not happen. Lewis Hamilton himself had criticized the measure, calling it unnecessary expenditure. Günther Steiner does not share this view.

Everyone had to ensure that their wing did not bend. There was no wasting of money, he claims.

I read that McLaren had just added a small brace to prevent it from bending too much. It was a very cheap solution.

McLaren: Technical Mastery and Confirmed Domination

Since their major upgrade package introduced at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, McLaren has continued to make progress. Winners of the Constructors’ Championship in 2024, their first since 1998, the team from Woking is dominating the 2025 season with nearly a 200-point lead over Ferrari.

Günther Steiner praises their adaptability: « McLaren knows exactly what to do with the car. If they lose the effect of the flexible wing, they go to the wind tunnel and regain 99.8% of the initial gain. »

Far from being weakened by the regulatory change, the team of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri seems stronger than ever.

Towards an end to the controversy?

The controversy around the flexi-wings was short-lived. McLaren demonstrated that its success was not solely based on aerodynamic flexibility margins, but rather on a sharp understanding of its technical package. For Steiner, the rival teams lost on all fronts: « They tried to slow down McLaren… they made them stronger. »

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