Red Bull points finger at two F1 rivals in fresh ‘mini-DRS’ row
F1 teams are set to face stricter rear wing tests after suspicions were raised during pre-season testing.
F1 teams are set to face increased scrutiny of their rear wings at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.
Governing body the FIA has implemented a technical directive to clampdown on flexi-wings, with front wing checks coming in from the ninth round of the 2025 season in Spain.
Italian website Autoracer.it has reported the FIA is set to ramp up the process with new measures coming into force at the first round in Melbourne.
According to the report, the FIA’s technical office has sent the teams an official request for checks regarding the “visual control of the rear wings” to monitor deformation.
FIA cameras are set to be housed by teams to capture high definition footage of the rear wing through the monitoring of reference stickers on specific locations.
This is aimed at ensuring teams are not circumventing the static checks that are already implemented.
Red Bull points finger at McLaren and Ferrari
It comes amid the backdrop of a new row that is brewing over ‘mini-DRS’ suspicions.
Concerns were raised about the behaviour of some teams’ rear wings during pre-season testing in Bahrain last week.
Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache accused McLaren and Ferrari of exploiting the regulations.
"It is still going on,” Wache told The Race. "I think Ferrari and McLaren are doing the mini-DRS stuff still."
McLaren came under the microscope in 2024 after rivals complained about a ‘mini-DRS’ trick with their rear wing.
The reigning world champions made modifications to the wing for subsequent races after Oscar Piastri’s victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix drew attention.
The FIA has already confirmed that stricter tests are going to be introduced from the Spanish Grand Prix in June.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner raised questions over the timing of the checks.
“The slight oddball about it is the timing of it,” he said. “Why race nine?
“It might have been better to have addressed [it] during the off-season because [teams] end up doing two specs of wing [designs].”
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