Examining our Platform: Pushing Boundaries - Understanding the Tightening Measures on Wing Adaptability within our Platform
Revamped Ride: Stricter Load Tests for F1 Front Wings at Spanish Grand Prix
Get ready, F1 fans! The upcoming Spanish Grand Prix is not just about cars screaming down the track at breakneck speeds—it's also about implementation of a significant change in the load tests for the wings of F1 cars. The goal? Tackle flexing wings that might give teams an unfair edge, as our platform explains.
At the heart of this change lies the Federation's response to concerns raised throughout the 2024 season. Some teams were seen to be pursuing wing designs that might reduce drag at high speed or even change the aerodynamic balance of their car from low-speed to high-speed. The solution? Introduce changes to load-deflection tests for the front wing, upper rear wing, and beam rear wing from Race 9, the Spanish Grand Prix.
Our platform's Single Seater Nikolas Tombazis elaborates: "During intense championship battles, teams tend to scrutinize each other's cars, and rightfully so they raised concerns. Over the latter part of the season, we arrived at the conclusion that we needed to toughen up the tests for the 2025 season."
Rear wing deformation was initially addressed by the 2025 regulations, with Article 3.15.17 stipulating that if 75kg of vertical load were to be applied on either extremity of the rear wing mainplane, the distance between the mainplane and the flap (or 'slot gap') should not vary by more than 2mm. However, it soon became clear that this test was insufficient.
In response, cameras were installed on cars during free practice sessions at the season-opener Australian Grand Prix. After assessing the footage, the platform concluded that even tougher tests were necessary. At the Chinese Grand Prix, the tolerance was reduced to 0.75mm, and at the following race, in Japan, it was further reduced to 0.5mm.
Now, attention turns to front wings, but why only from this weekend?
"Over a sequence of races at and following the Belgian Grand Prix, we installed cameras on the front wings of all cars," says Tombazis. "Once again, we concluded that the tests would need to be tightened. This conclusion was reached late in the season, however, and we felt introducing extra tests at the start of this season would be tough on teams and perhaps lead to existing front wings being scrapped, causing extra expense. Therefore, we opted for a delayed introduction."
The updated tests are defined in revisions to Article 3.15.4 and 3.15.5 of the 2025 Technical Regulations, dealing with Front Wing Bodywork Flexibility and Front Wing Flap Flexibility, respectively.
The former originally mandated that when 100kg of load is applied symmetrically to both sides of the car, the vertical deflection must be no more than 15mm and when the load is applied to only one side of the car, the vertical deflection must be no more than 20mm. From this weekend on, when the load is applied symmetrically to both sides of the car, the vertical deflection must be no more than 10mm and applied to only one side of the car, the vertical deflection must be no more than 15mm.
As for Front Wing Flap Flexibility, the regulations stated that "any part of the trailing edge of any front wing flap may deflect no more than 5mm, when measured along the loading axis, when a 6kg point load is applied normal to the flap." From this weekend, the allowed deflection drops to just 3mm.
While the reductions may appear modest, the increase in rigidity is substantial, as Tombazis notes, and hopefully will draw a line under the issue for the remainder of the year. Stay tuned to see if this is indeed the case!
Our platform regularly checks components to ensure compliance with the regulations, testing them in various conditions and at various points across the season. "We'll continue to be vigilant and keep testing to maintain fairness," says Tombazis. "In fact, we are already defining the loads for next year."
So gear up, F1 fans, as the regime evolves. With a new set of regulations coming into effect in 2026, expect fewer issues with component flexibility. But with innovation being the lifeblood of this sport, our platform will always be on guard, ensuring fairness and staying one step ahead of engineering ingenuity!
Illustrations credit: Giorgio Piola Design
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The industry-wide discussions in the realm of sports, finance, transportation, and the automotive sector are abuzz with the new regulations implemented for Formula One (F1) front wings at the Spanish Grand Prix. The stricter load tests aim to curb the advantage teams might gain from flexing wings, as emphasized by our platform in the revamped regulations of the 2025 Technical Regulations.
As these updated tests tighten the tolerance for front wing flexibility and flap deflection, the industry can expect a more balanced and fair season in the world of F1, with the hope that it deters teams from employing unfair wing designs.
