FIA verdict on Red Bull F1 rivals legal checks announced

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FIA verdict on Red Bull rivals legal checks announced

Rival teams questioned the legality of the Mercedes and McLaren front wing

Originally written by Sheona Mountford. This version is a translation.

Thursday 5 September 2024 18:00

FIA checks into the legality of front wings have yielded an official verdict, following complaints from Red Bull and Ferrari.

After the Italian Grand Prix, championship challengers Ferrari and Red Bull urged Formula 1's governing body to examine the flexible front wing on both the McLaren and Mercedes cars.

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This interest in their rivals' front wings was piqued by onboard footage from the two cars in Monza which appeared to show a large amount of motion in the front wings.

Red Bull boss Helmut Marko has urged that their wings be examined further, despite the FIA having been monitoring front wings more closely since the Belgian GP.

The legality of McLaren and Mercedes' front wings have been called into question

Helmut Marko has urged the FIA to examine the McLaren and Mercedes

Red Bull question rivals' legality

McLaren are now eight points off Red Bull in the constructors’ title and Lando Norris is still in reaching distance for the drivers’ championship.

Max Verstappen delivered a pessimistic assessment of his team’s performance at Monza after the race, and even claimed he did not believe they would win another race again this season.

However, their rivals’ gain has left Red Bull bosses suspicious as they believe the flexible wings of their competitors could have given them an advantage.

A small amount of flex in the front wing can help remedy the balance issues of a car due to the reintroduction of ground-effect floors during the 2022 regulation changes.

Despite protestations the FIA have found that McLaren and Mercedes’ front wings are completely legal and compliant with the regulations

The statement read: "The FIA is examining front wings at every event with numerous checks (conformity of surfaces, conformity of deflections) with respect to the relevant F1 Technical Regulation. All front wings are currently compliant with the 2024 regulations.”

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