Why the FIA is confident the F1 flexi-wing saga isn't yet over
Why the FIA is confident the F1 flexi-wing saga isn't yet over
What's next for F1's main technical battleground in 2025? Following its latest flexing wing clampdown in China, the FIA has provided a fresh update on the saga
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Honest question: can someone explain why the flexing wing is something the FIA feels they need to "clampdown" on?
To me it seems like a cool innovation that 3, maybe 4 teams were already using to various degrees.
Does it mess up the air wash behind the cars or something?
The boring answer, and what is most likely going to be publicly presented as the sole motivation: safety. Yuki's spontaneously imploding front wing from China is convenient here (even though I don't think VCARB is rumoured to be a flexi wing perpetrator).
Is this the real reason? Who knows. The conspiracy theory of the FIA wanting to reign in McLaren's advantage is certainly compelling.
The traditional reason for banning an innovation is that it wasn't intended by the rules, and the rules are there to ensure a level playing field for the teams. Usually whenever some team comes up with a "creative interpretation of the rules" that gives them a huge advantage (flexi-wing, f-duct, double diffuser, fan car, whatever) then the FIA either say it's fine and everyone else then copies it, or the FIA say it's not and they ban it. Either way the team gets a few races of advantage before the playing field is levelled again.
From my perspective, F1 is supposed to be "The Pinnacle of Motorsports". Innovation, as long as it's safe and doesn't exclude the less rich competitors, should be encouraged and fostered.
Some of those things (like the fan car) make sense to ban, since they give an unfair advantage to companies with larger R&D budgets and expertise.
Others impact dirty air wash and seem like a good idea to ban to maintain racing safety.
But others, like the F duct and flexi-wing, just seem arbitrary? They seem like positive innovations with no major downsides for any team.
It has always been this way though, the "formula" in F1 is the spec you have to build the car to, right?