Spotlight on McLaren ‘mini DRS’ as FIA consider action over F1 flexi wings
McLaren's dubbed 'mini DRS' has come under scrutiny following the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
The FIA says it is reviewing “data and additional evidence” from the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix amid scrutiny of McLaren’s rear wing.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri claimed his second victory of the season with a brilliant drive in Baku to resist Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, but footage which emerged from the event has placed the spotlight on the MCL38’s rear wing.
This comes a couple of weeks after F1’s governing body cleared McLaren of any breaches concerning flexi-wings after their front wing came under scrutiny.
Now attention has been drawn to an apparent trick on McLaren’s rear wing that has seemingly opened a fresh twist in the flexi-wing saga.
The rear-facing onboard camera from Piastri’s McLaren appeared to show the top element of the rear wing deflecting at high-speed on Baku’s straights.
An FIA statement read: “The FIA is closely monitoring the flexibility of bodywork on all cars and reserves the right to request teams to make modifications at any point during the season.
“However, if a team successfully passes all deflection tests and adheres to the regulations and technical directives, they are deemed to be in full compliance, and no further action will be taken.
“The FIA is currently reviewing data and any additional evidence that has emerged from the Baku GP and is considering any mitigating measures for future implementation.
“This is part of the standard process when scrutineering technical legality, and the FIA retains the authority to introduce regulatory changes during the season if required.”
A McLaren spokesperson told BBC Sport that their car had passed all tests and complied with the rules.
Leclerc pointed to the top-speed of the McLaren on the straights after he unsuccessfully attempted to reclaim the lead from Piastri.
“We underestimated the speed they had on the straights, running a lower downforce package than us, which made them too fast to attempt to overtake them,” the Monegasque said.
Piastri’s win in Baku was McLaren’s fourth of 2024 and saw them leapfrog Red Bull into the lead of the constructors’ championship by 20 points heading into this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.
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