F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Teams to stock up on spare front wings for 2019 - Green

Formula 1's new-spec front wings will be more vulnerable to damage this season, forcing teams to carry a lot more spare wings as a result.

Changes to the sport's aerodynamic rules ahead of 2019 have led to a simpler but wider front-wing assembly, with its measurement increasing from 1800mm to 2000mm in width.

The greater span will logically leave the front wing element more exposed, therefore increasing the risk of deterioration during wheel-to-wheel racing.

Teams could carry as much as double the usual number of spare wings this year says Racing Point tech boss Andy Green.

"Normally we would look at bringing five wings to a race," he said, quoted by Motorsport.com.

"I think we are going to be up to seven to nine.

"We'll see how it goes, obviously if we start going through them quite quick we might have to have more than that.

"Budget-wise it's probably the same because they are definitely easier and cheaper to manufacture.

"So we're going to end up carrying a lot more wings in spares, a lot more."

Green anticipates that drivers will exert caution this season to avoid damage when racing close together, especially at the start of a race.

"They are a lot wider, a lot more susceptible to damage," added the Racing Point engineer.

"We are already taking the bottoms off over kerbs and we're not really pushing them very hard.

"The drivers are going to have to be pretty wary of them going into Turn 1 on the first lap."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Michael Delaney

Recent Posts

Through one lens: Twelve photographs from the 2025 F1 season

  Lewis Hamilton: Australian GP – Albert Park Lewis Hamilton’s very first Grand Prix weekend…

4 hours ago

Two Formula 1 racers born on Christmas day

One driver has a hugely famous name, the other is a special Grand Prix winner,…

6 hours ago

Red with purpose – It’s time for Ferrari to bring it home

As the Ferrari factory in Maranello glows in festive crimson, a sense of anticipation hums…

1 day ago

Norris reveals the quirky private moment his F1 title finally sunk in

Lando Norris had just done the hardest thing in motorsport – winning the Formula 1…

1 day ago

Howden Ganley, McLaren's third-ever employee

A veteran of 41 Grands Prix starts, Howden Ganley - seen here above hitting a…

1 day ago

Leclerc’s ‘naughty’ Christmas gift leaves Russell ‘lost for words’

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc may not have ended the season with a silver trophy in hand,…

1 day ago