Formula 1 teams wias be told by the FIA that they will face stricter load tests on front wings from the next race in Belgium.
Rivals have complained about the low running wings on the Red Bull and Ferrari, and in order to address the issue the FIA has called on Article 3.17.8 of F1's technical regulations, a rule that allows it to change the nature of tests during the course of the season.
Article 3.17.8 says: “In order to ensure that the requirements of Article 3.15 are respected, the FIA reserves the right to introduce further load/deflection tests on any part of the bodywork which appears to be (or is suspected of) moving whilst the car is in motion.”
The wing deflection issue is covered by Article 3.15, which stipulates that bodywork “must be rigidly secured to the entirely sprung part of the car” and “must remain immobile in relation to the sprung part of the car”.
The rule adds: “Any device or construction that is designed to bridge the gap between the sprung part of the car and the ground is prohibited under all circumstances."
“No part having an aerodynamic influence and no part of the bodywork, with the exception of the skid block in 3.13 above, may under any circumstances be located below the reference plane.”
At present, Article 3.15 is enforced through load tests designed to ensure that cars' aerodynamic parts do not flex by more than a stated maximum, but such static tests do not fully replicate the higher forces cars generate on the circuit, particularly in fast corners.
Note: You can see how the front wing flexes downwards in this raw video rip from TV
The Red Bull and Ferrari front wings have passed scrutineering tests so far, but McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh argued yesterday that their endplates were visibly running closer to the ground than the rules stipulate, and called for the FIA to clarify what was permissible.
The ground effect from running front wings lower is a potentially significant advantage, affording not only more downforce overall but a better aerodynamic balance – offsetting the increased rear downforce generated by exhaust-blown diffusers.
Whitmarsh suggested that so-called “flexible wings” could be worth up to a second per lap.
