2 — Stiffen up to pass the new front wing deflection test
In order to pass the new front wing deflection tests introduced in Canada, teams added small supports in between flaps. The rationale behind it is to prevent said flaps from flexing more than 3mm when a 60N force is applied to them.
The FIA’s latest technical directive addressed the issue and called for stricter tests on front wing deflection, in accordance with article 3.17.8 of the sport's technical regulations. The document was issued barely ten days before the Canadian Grand Prix. This means that teams had to come up with quick temporary fixes on their front wings (as the Lotus example below shows) in order to tackle the ultra-fast Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and its low-downforce demands.
With flexible flaps, F1 squads look to modify car balance at high speed and reduce drag by decreasing the overall wing incidence (since flaps return to their initial positioning under braking). The new tests seem to have kept front wing deflection in check, though flaps still flex at high speed, albeit in reasonable proportion.
