F1 champion calls for RADICAL ban with new 'campaign'

1996 F1 champion Damon Hill has taken to social media to begin a new 'campaign' to ban front wings in the sport.

F1 machinery has moved on drastically since Hill claimed his first and only drivers' title trophy but since the days of his 3.0-litre Renault V10 powered Williams, what has changed?

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Hill drove his FW18 to a championship victory after eight grands prix wins that year, his machinery praised for its balance, speed and aerodynamic design.

With few weaknesses on his Williams, Hill is in a good position to spot an ideal F1 design and recently took to social media platform 'X' to praise a car that triumphed over a decade before he did.

One fan of the sport shared his praise last weekend for former McLaren star John Watson and his astonishing victory at the 1982 Detroit Grand Prix, where he crossed the line P1 in his MP4/1, despite starting the race from 17th.

In response to the post, Hill declared: "Just to say, no front wing. Can we not please go back to this? Ban front wings campaign begins here!!!"

What do front wings bring to F1?

Whilst Hill is clearly a fan of the MP4/1 and its lack of aerofoil wings, the concept of adding the element to an F1 car to give it more downforce was first introduced long before both Hill's era in the sport and Watson's.

Colin Chapman's Lotus 49B was the first F1 car to feature a front wing in a race, taking to the iconic street circuit with an advantage at the 1968 Grand Prix.

Constructor's rivals Brabham and Ferrari then followed suit at the next event in Belgium, adding rear wings. Since then the sport has seen many variations of the concept but as McLaren returned to the top of the order last season, front wings became a hot topic once again.

The last race at the Spanish GP marked the introduction of a new FIA technical directive following an announcement from the FIA that they would be clamping down on the use of flexible wings with more stringent tests on rear wings already introduced in China earlier this year.

At the Spanish GP tougher tests on front wings were introduced, with many teams bringing upgrade packages as a result, although so far, the change has not succeeded in slowing McLaren down as their lead in the constructors' standings has grown ahead of this weekend's race in Monaco.

Just to say, no front wing. Can we not please go back to this? Ban front wings campaign begins here!!! #f1 https://t.co/RmcHsNYKXp

— Damon Hill (@HillF1) June 6, 2025

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