Formula 1 teams will have to pass tougher rear-wing flexibility tests from this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix in a fresh immediate clampdown by the FIA following 2025’s season opener in Melbourne.
After the so-called ‘mini-DRS’ controversy of last season around the level of bodywork flexing being seen on some teams’ rear wings when running at speed on track – an episode which saw McLaren agree to make adjustments to their design after the Azerbaijan GP – the sport’s governing body confirmed in January that it was introducing new load tests for wings for the 2025 season to further limit how much the parts are able to flex.
New deflection limits for rear wings were introduced from last weekend’s first round in Melbourne, while additional concerns about front-wing flexing are being addressed in test changes being introduced from June’s Spanish GP, the season’s ninth round.
But after fresh intrigue around rear-wing flexing on the new 2025 cars in pre-season testing last month led to the FIA undertaking extra monitoring in Melbourne with additional cameras placed on cars during practice sessions, the governing body informed teams early on Monday of a fresh tightening of what will now be permitted regarding movement of the upper rear wing in static tests from the second’s season round.
While the FIA confirmed all cars passed the tests in place in Melbourne and therefore the entire grid ran legally, it had decided from evaluations and analysis at Albert Park that “sufficient grounds exist for a tougher test” to be in place from Shanghai onwards.
An FIA statement issued on Monday read: “As has been previously communicated, between the end of the 2024 season and the start of the 2025 season, the FIA exercised the authority it is granted under Article 3.15.1 of the Technical Regulations to introduce either new or more challenging load-deflection tests for the front wing (from Race 9, Spanish Grand Prix), the upper rear wing, and the beam rear wing.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
What is wing flexing? Back in September 2024 when McLaren’s rivals raised concerns about their front wing, Sky Sports News’ Craig Slater used the medium of mine to explain the situation!
“In addition, the FIA requested to the teams to use cameras in Free Practice Sessions to monitor the on-track deformations exhibited by the cars during the Australian Grand Prix.
“Having analysed footage from the rear wing deformations combined to the static deflections measured inside the FIA garage in Melbourne, the FIA has concluded that sufficient grounds exist for a tougher test to be introduced from the forthcoming Chinese Grand Prix on the upper rear wing.”
Given the Shanghai event begins in just four days’ time, the FIA confirmed that a one-off tolerance will be added into the new reduced 0.5mm deflection limit for this weekend’s round before the change takes full effect from the following race in Japan on April 4-6.
“More specifically, Article 3.15.17, introduced in 2025, states that if 75kg of vertical load is applied on either extremity of the rear wing mainplane, the distance between the mainplane and the flap (also known as “slot gap”) must not vary by more than 2mm,” added the statement.
“From the forthcoming Grand Prix in Shanghai, this limit will be reduced to 0.5mm. Due to the short notice for Shanghai only a tolerance of 0.25mm will be added to this new limit.”
The statement confirmed that “during the Melbourne event all cars tested against the requirements of Article 3.15.17 and [were] found to comply, therefore all cars raced in Melbourne were deemed to be legal”.
The F1 circus heads straight to Shanghai this week for the first Sprint weekend of the season at the Chinese GP, with coverage starting on Friday live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
