Red Bull’s big remaining question about F1 flexi-wing controversy

Red Bull have questioned why the FIA have decided to delay the introduction of stricter F1 front wing tests for the 2025 season.

Last month it emerged that F1’s governing body the FIA was implementing new load tests to ensure bendy front and rear wings are no longer a talking point this season, after the subject became a topic of controversy last year.

While the scope of rear wing tests will be increased from next month's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, more stringent front wing tests are not set to come into force until the Spanish Grand Prix, the ninth round of the season in June.

Flexi-wings proved to be an area of contention during the second half of 2024 when McLaren were forced to modify their rear wing after rivals Red Bull and Ferrari questioned its legality.

Although Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is pleased to see the topic addressed, he still has a burning question on the matter.

“I think it’s good that they’ve addressed it. Obviously there’s been a change and a tidy up to the rear wing,” Horner told media including Crash.net at F1’s season launch event at London’s O2 Arena.

“The front wing gets changed at race nine. Why nine? I don’t know, but it is what it is. It’s the same for everyone.

“It just means that you’ve got a pre-race nine and a post-race nine set of issues to deal with, which inevitably will drive cost.”

Ferrari glad to see ‘clarity’ on F1 flexi-wing saga

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur is glad to see the FIA clarify the situation ahead of the new campaign.

“For me, it’s not an issue,” Vasseur said. “I think it’s good to have clarity. The most important for me is to know that we have to change something on the front wing by Barcelona, for example.

“You can discuss about the timing because it’s the week after Monaco and we need to come to Monaco with a full package of front wing. But at the end of the day, it’s good for us, it’s good for the development and [planning] to know when we have to bring something.

“The worst-case scenario would be to start the season like we are today and in two races to come with a TD to change something because it’s much more difficult to plan and in this case, it would have been a mess.

“But honestly, we all know the situation. We were all planning to bring an upgrade on the front wing during the season and like this, we know that we’ll have to do it back in Barcelona.”