FIA cracks down on flexi-wings with stricter 2025 rules
FIA introduces strict flexi-wing testing in F1 2025, with new rear wing tests in Australia and front wing measures from Spanish GP.

The FIA has announced a comprehensive revision of Formula 1's wing flexibility testing procedures for 2025, marking a significant reversal from its previous stance on the controversial issue.
The move aims to eliminate bodywork flexibility as a point of contention among teams throughout the upcoming season.
New testing regime
Starting with the season opener in Australia, the sport's governing body will implement expanded static deflection tests for rear wings.

The technical oversight will further intensify from the Spanish Grand Prix in June, when additional front wing tests will be introduced. These new measures will notably reduce the permitted front wing flexing allowance from 15mm to 10mm.
Strategic implementation
The FIA's phased approach reflects a careful consideration of team resources under the cost cap. By delaying the stricter front wing regulations until June, teams can continue using their 2024-specification front wings at the season's start, avoiding unnecessary component wastage.
This timing allows teams to adapt their designs gradually while maintaining competitive operations.

Technical background
The matter of aero-elasticity has become increasingly significant during the current ground effect era, as teams struggle to optimize their cars' performance across varying corner speeds.
The ability to utilize flexible wings has emerged as a crucial tool for enhancing a car's operating window, with McLaren's championship-winning MCL38 particularly noted for its effective exploitation of this concept.

Team impacts and reactions
Ferrari's experience highlights the strategic complications teams faced under the previous regulatory environment.
Team Principal Fred Vasseur revealed that Ferrari delayed developing their own flexible wing solution, anticipating a FIA clampdown that initially didn't materialize. This decision, made within the constraints of the cost cap, potentially cost the team valuable development time.

"We were convinced that [the FIA] would go for the 'no go'. And it went for the 'go!' So probably we lost one or two months,"
Vasseur explained, highlighting the development and resource allocation challenges teams face when regulatory directions remain unclear.
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