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McLaren Stands Firm Amidst F1 Rear Wing Rule Changes, Denies Exploitation Allegations

Carl Harrison by Carl Harrison
March 20, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Oscar Piastri Dominates Final Practice at F1 Australian GP, Sets Stage for Thrilling Qualifying Session

Formula One F1 - Australian Grand Prix - Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia - March 15, 2025 McLaren's Oscar Piastri during practice REUTERS/Mark Peterson

McLaren, the renowned Formula 1 team, has boldly asserted that it’s not the focal point of the FIA’s unexpected clampdown on the flexibility of rear wings in F1 cars. The team has also confirmed that there will be no alterations made to its 2025 vehicle. The FIA’s decision to tighten the testing protocol for flexing rear wings came after a comprehensive analysis in Melbourne, which resulted in a reduction of the tolerance level of slot gap movement from 2mm to 0.75mm for the Chinese Grand Prix, and further down to 0.5mm thereafter.

This modification in rules was initially perceived as a victory for Red Bull, considering that the team has been lobbying with the FIA to restrain the reemergence of the ‘mini-DRS’ gimmicks, which were previously utilized to great effect by their main competitor, McLaren, last year. Red Bull has been suspicious of McLaren, speculating that the team has been leveraging the ‘mini-DRS’ tactics once again this year. Pierre Wache, Red Bull’s technical director, expressed his suspicion during the Bahrain testing, indicating that both McLaren and Ferrari may be utilizing these tactics.

However, McLaren has vehemently denied these accusations, stating that it didn’t have to modify its rear wing for the Shanghai race this weekend. The team firmly believes that its Melbourne-spec car would have cleared the stricter tests without any issues. The team also emphasized that it has been consistently using the same wing throughout all of 2025, including testing, and has no plans to change it now.

Lando Norris, whose McLaren MCL39 was the only car subjected to four specific rear wing load deflection tests after winning in Australia, went one step further to assert that McLaren hasn’t been pushing the limits enough in this area. Norris confirmed that their car is compliant with the new rule and even suggested that they might not be exploiting the full potential of the wing. He indicated that the new directive is targeted at other teams, suggesting a need for McLaren to push even harder.

The FIA’s decision to increase monitoring of rear wings during the Australian GP, including the use of high-definition onboard cameras and additional load tests in the garages, indicates that some teams might be taking advantage of the regulations. The FIA’s decision to cut the slot gap movement tolerance by 75% followed their discomfort with the findings from the additional tests and monitoring. Notably, all cars were found to be compliant under the former regulations.

Norris’s car’s wings were inspected post-race, along with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, George Russell’s Mercedes, and Carlos Sainz’s Williams. These inspections included tests on the aerodynamics and bodyworks, ensuring full regulation compliance of both front and rear wings.

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