{"id":31613,"date":"2025-03-17T10:34:57","date_gmt":"2025-03-17T14:34:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/?p=31613"},"modified":"2025-03-17T10:44:10","modified_gmt":"2025-03-17T14:44:10","slug":"fia-announce-new-technical-directive-which-teams-will-benefit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/motorsports\/2025\/03\/17\/fia-announce-new-technical-directive-which-teams-will-benefit\/","title":{"rendered":"FIA announce new Technical Directive: Which teams will benefit?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Prior to last weekend’s Australian GP, there was one major controversy in F1 bubbling behind the scenes<\/strong>. Not for the first time, the FIA was investigating the issue of flexible rear wings – often referred to as ‘Mini-DRS’.<\/p>\n

This innovation, first observed at McLaren<\/a> in Baku last year, has been the subject of significant discussion among teams.<\/p>\n

Over the winter, the FIA decided to impose tougher measures and tests on the emergence of flexi-wings.<\/p>\n

However, after last weekend’s action in Melbourne<\/a>, the FIA have immediately pushed forward with the implementation of an even stricter technical regulation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Why the FIA are introducing stricter regulations<\/h4>\n

F1 is a sport, perhaps more than any other, defined by grey areas.<\/p>\n

Teams often push the limits of the regulations<\/a> in order to achieve advantages over their rivals.<\/p>\n

In some cases, the FIA give the green light for teams to implement ideas that involve a more unique interpretation of the regulations.<\/p>\n

At the end of last year, it was understood that flexi-wings would fall under this category.<\/p>\n

Over the winter, however, the FIA decided that tougher measures were necessary<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Specifically, new technical regulations were drafted to eliminate front wing flexing – a grey area that has attracted immense attention in recent months.<\/p>\n

These changes were set to be applied for the Spanish GP, providing teams with some breathing space to make adjustments<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

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Lando Norris in Melbourne, Australia.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Crucially, though, the FIA also introduced certain measures (such as new cameras) to observe rear wing movement at round one.<\/p>\n

The Federation’s observations have triggered an immediate reaction, with the intention of preventing teams from circumventing their tests.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, the FIA would test wing flexing using static tests.<\/p>\n

However, it is understood that some teams have found methods to pass these static tests<\/strong> – whilst still benefiting from flexible wings on track.<\/p>\n

As a result, new measures are being enforced – effective immediately.<\/p>\n

Winners and losers from the FIA’s latest directive<\/h4>\n

At this stage, it is unclear exactly how the latest FIA clampdown will impact the pecking order.<\/p>\n

It is no secret that McLaren were the first to push the limits of aeroelasticity<\/strong> of last season.<\/p>\n

However, this does not necessarily mean they will be the most affected by these technical changes.<\/p>\n

After all, the Woking-based operation<\/a> stated over winter that stricter tests were not a major concern.<\/p>\n

Still, it should be noted that the expectation before Australia was that tougher tests would be implemented at the Spanish GP (round 9), rather than in China.<\/p>\n

This means teams have to make instant alterations, rather than more gradual ones.<\/p>\n

Regardless, this weekend in Shanghai will provide more clarity on how the MCL39 is affected.<\/p>\n

Elsewhere on the grid, some teams will benefit from this change<\/strong> – provided they were not already pushing the limits of what the regulations permitted.<\/p>\n

Crucially, it was Red Bull<\/a> Technical Director, Pierre Wache, who first suggested during pre-season testing that other teams were still using the ‘Mini-DRS’ trick.<\/p>\n

In fact, Wache specifically pointed the finger at McLaren and Ferrari<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

“It is still going on,”<\/em> he told The Race in Bahrain<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“I think Ferrari and McLaren are doing the Mini-DRS stuff still<\/strong>.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>