FIA announce additional investigation into flexi-wings, teams in trouble?
- Corwin Kunst
Flexi-wings in Formula 1 have returned to the limelight again this season. Among others, the front wings of Aston Martin and Mercedes attracted a lot of attention. The FIA will take extra measures during the weekend in Belgium to check whether teams' front wings comply with regulations.
During driving, the front wing can bend or deform, which can improve the car's efficiency and performance. When a front wing is flexible, it provides more downforce in the corners without compromising speed on the straight. However, bending is only allowed to a certain extent. The front wing is not allowed to bend too far, but this may currently be happening to teams in Formula 1.
Additional checks
To date, the FIA always conducts 'static' tests, where the wings are loaded - when the cars are stationary - to see if the racing teams are complying with the rules. Some teams criticised them for questioning whether these checks were sufficient to actually be able to say with 100 per cent certainty that the wings do not flex too much under racing conditions.
The international governing body initially believed that additional tests were not necessary but has now succumbed to the criticism. Some formations - designated by the FIA - will have to drive with extra cameras during the first two free practice sessions. On Saturday and Sunday, the cameras will not be used. To ensure that teams do not mount the cameras on wings they barely use during the weekend, the cameras must have been on track for at least 50 per cent of the total kilometres driven.