The FIA introduces a new directive for rear wings: maximum flexion threshold reduced by 75%
Another round, another regulatory revision. The International Federation has once again decided to intervene on the technical front, updating the rear wing flexion test ahead of this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix, as reported by Autoracer.it.
The update concerns Article 3.15.17 of the technical regulations, which governs the slot gap between the mainplane and the movable DRS element. The maximum allowable flexion, previously set at 2 millimeters in Australia, will now be reduced to just 0.5 millimeters when a force of 750 Newtons is applied to the wing’s extremities while the car is stationary.
A drastic 75% reduction, made necessary after the FIA, analyzing ultra-high-resolution images from Friday’s practice sessions in Melbourne, confirmed that some teams had already found ways to circumvent the previous static tests.
No specific team appears to be directly targeted by the FIA—at least for now. However, some top teams, such as McLaren and Ferrari, may be forced to make adjustments to their cars.
Further updates will follow, and we’ll find out during the Chinese Sprint weekend who will be affected by this new FIA directive.
Photo: McLaren F1 Team, Scuderia Ferrari
