F1 News
Marko on flexiwings: 'That's always the development when new rules come in'
- GPblog.com
Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko says changing the rules midway through the season would not be a decisive disadvantage when it comes to the world championship. The FIA is going to tighten the rules regarding the so-called 'flexiwings'.
Marko says in an interview with Motorsport-Total.com that Red Bull are not at fault when it comes to the wing. "The wing has passed the acceptance test. That is the crucial thing. Now there are new criteria that have different guidelines from the strength," Marko reveals.
In-season rule changes nothing new
For the 78-year-old Austrian, regulations that change during the season are nothing new. "That's always the development when new regulations come and teams discover grey areas. But it's not just Red Bull being targeted. It affects other teams as well." Marko says that during Red Bull's most successful period, the team had to adjust the front wing two to three times per season.
In addition to Red Bull, Marko expects Alpine and Alfa Romeo to have to adjust their wings as well. AlphaTauri, Red Bull's sister team, seems to have escaped the fray as the team has no moving aero parts on the car.
Hamilton 'discovered' the wing
It was Lewis Hamilton who noticed Red Bull's 'flexiwings', but Marko thinks it's mostly a psychological game. Red Bull opted for a smaller rear wing to gain some speed in Spain. "Hamilton then saw when he was driving behind that we were relatively fast on the straights and put it down to the wing. That's where two things came together."