As the Formula 1 new season is on the horizon, fresh allegations of ‘mini-DRS’ exploitation have emerged, casting a shadow of suspicion over the teams. This development comes in the wake of revealing onboard footage from the Bahrain testing, hinting at possible manipulation of the concept by some teams.
The Formula 1 community got their first glimpse of the new cars in Bahrain this week, leading to engineers keeping a vigilant watch on the innovations brought forth by their rivals. The footage from the rear-facing onboard camera during the testing has already sparked debates in the paddock surrounding the legality of some designs. These designs appear to be testing the limits of rear wing flexing, despite the International Automobile Federation’s (FIA) attempts to eliminate the ‘mini-DRS’ effect by 2025.
An anonymous team principal voiced his concerns, stating, “From the videos we’ve observed, a number of rear wings seem to be quite flexible. This is something we’re monitoring very carefully.”
The paddock insiders have pointed out two primary behavioral characteristics that have come to light. The first one involves the entire rear wing structure rotating back. The second is the continuation of certain teams’ attempts to increase the slot gap when the car is speeding on the straight.
Last season, McLaren came under scrutiny for exploiting the latter characteristic. By widening the slot gap, they were able to reduce drag and increase top speed, earning their concept the nickname ‘mini-DRS’.
Pierre Wache, Red Bull’s technical director, expressed his certainty that some teams were still trying to capitalize on the mini-DRS concept during the final day of pre-season testing in Bahrain. According to Wache, “It’s still happening. I firmly believe that Ferrari and McLaren are still using the mini-DRS mechanism.”
Given that teams’ designs aren’t rigorously inspected for legality during testing, there haven’t been any formal complaints about the rear wing designs till now. Nonetheless, this issue implies that there will likely be a close examination of the wings’ behavior in the run-up to the Australian Grand Prix, marking the first race of the season.
If teams continue to observe similar practices, they might escalate the matter, urging the FIA to investigate further. When questioned if he foresaw this issue becoming a focal point in the early stages of the season, Wache responded affirmatively, remarking, “It will be. It’s quite noticeable.”
Last season, McLaren was the center of attention due to its rear wing design. Their mini-DRS played a crucial role in Oscar Piastri’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory, enabling him to outpace Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari on the straights. This led to rival teams lodging complaints with the FIA, subsequently resulting in modifications to McLaren’s wing for later races.
In a bid to deter teams from replicating similar rear wing manipulations, alterations were made to the regulations at the onset of this season. The revised regulations now dictate that the slot gap width is scaled down from a 10-15mm minimum allowance to 9.4-13mm. Of greater importance, the rules now clearly state that the DRS bodywork position can either be open or closed, prohibiting any flexibility.
Further modifications have been made to compel teams to reinforce the rear wing mainplane. A new rule now mandates that the distance between two sections of the rear wing shouldn’t exceed 2mm when specific loads are applied.
As the new season approaches, the ‘mini-DRS’ controversy underscores the need for stringent regulations and vigilant enforcement to ensure a level playing field for all teams.
