Lewis Hamilton is gearing up for his debut season at Ferrari, with the 2025 season kicking off in Australia next week at the Melbourne Grand Prix
FIA inspectors will head to Maranello to inspect Ferrari’s latest Formula 1 racing machine after Red Bull’s complaints during pre-season testing.
In Bahrain last month, they argued that some other teams, including their title rivals Ferrari and McLaren, were using flexible rear wing trick to gain a performance advantage. The FIA is clamping down on such innovations and will run checks this season, but Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache insists it is “still going on”.
The Frenchman said on the final day of the three-day test: “I think Ferrari and McLaren are doing the mini-DRS stuff still.” Video footage of cars on track in Bahrain appeared to show some flexible elements on the rear wings of some cars.
It seems Red Bull have gone as far as to request the intervention of the FIA. Reports in Italy suggest inspectors will be sent to Ferrari and McLaren’s bases respectively to carry out checks to make sure their cars are compliant with the rules. Mirror Sport has approached the FIA for comment.
Further scrutineering is set to take place, as usual, ahead of the first race of the season, the Australian Grand Prix on March 16. As it stands, all cars with wings that have passed the FIA’s static load checks are deemed to be compliant within the rules.
Regardless of the stringent checks that take place as standard on Grand Prix weekends, Wache is adamant that the controversy over ‘flexi-rear wings’ will still be a significant talking point in Melbourne.
Asked if he felt that would be the case, he said: “It will be – it is quite visible.”
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McLaren have already changed their rear wing designs once recently after complaints from their rivals. The FIA requested for changes to be made after last year’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix as, although the design was legal, the slot in the wing appeared to open narrowly under load which created a ‘mini-DRS’ effect.
McLaren, who went on to win the constructors’ title, said they had “proactively offered to make some minor adjustments to the wing” after FIA talks. They also made it clear they wanted to governing body to make sure other teams were not using similar tricks.
Neither they nor Ferrari are expected to be too concerned about the current complaints levied against them. They believe their cars are fully compliant with the design regulations, despite the protests of Red Bull who are said to have put together ‘an accusatory file’.
Max Verstappen is the defending drivers’ champion but Lando Norris heads into the season as the title favourite with McLaren expected to be very competitive once again. Ferrari will also be gunning for glory with Charles Leclerc and new signing, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, leading their charge.
