FIA confirms legality of all F1 front wing designs in 2024

The FIA has issued a statement confirming that all current 2024 Formula 1 front wings comply with its regulations and have passed the mandatory tests.

After last weekend’s the Italian Grand Prix, Ferrari and Red Bull were calling for a closer examination by the FIA of the front wings used by McLaren and Mercedes.

This followed onboard footage from the race weekend showing an unusual amount of movement in the designs of both teams’ wings.

Since the Belgian Grand Prix, in addition to its normal load tests, the FIA has been using cameras to track the flexing of front wings to assess whether the current flex tests are adequate or need updating.

• Read also: Rivals urge FIA scrutiny over McLaren and Mercedes flexi-wings

The governing body has made it clear that this process is focused on collecting data rather than targeting teams for potential penalties.

When these additional monitoring measures were introduced, the FIA stated that no changes to the regulations would be made during this season.

However, any adjustments deemed necessary would be considered for implementation in 2025 at the earliest.

The topic of flexi-wings has been a consistent concern in modern F1, with ongoing scrutiny over the flexibility of various components, including floors, rear wings, and front wings

Aerodynamic engineers have long sought to incorporate a degree of aeroelasticity into their designs, within the rules, as these can help reduce drag on straights, provided the wings meet the FIA's required load tests.

In response to Red Bull and Ferrari's concerns, the FIA issued on Tuesday a statement addressing the topic of flexi)wing legality.

"The FIA is examining front wings at every event with numerous checks (conformity of surfaces, conformity of deflections) with respect to the relevant F1 Technical Regulation. All front wings are currently compliant with the 2024 regulations," it stated.

"Since the Belgian Grand Prix, the FIA has acquired additional data during FP1 and FP2 sessions to assess dynamic behaviours through an FIA-mandated video camera which captures areas of the front wing which are not visible through the official FOM cameras.

"This exercise will continue at least up until Singapore to ensure every team will have been running the mandated FIA camera on different types of tracks (low, medium, high and very high downforce).

"This will ensure a large database allowing the FIA to draw the most objective picture of the situation and quantify differences between the various dynamic patterns observed on track.

"The FIA has the right to introduce new tests if irregularities are suspected.

"There are no plans for any short-term measures, but we are evaluating the situation with the medium and long-term in mind."

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