FIA to clamp down on wing flexing in 2025 after U-turn

The FIA will clamp down on the manner in which Formula 1 teams can bend their wings after introducing new load tests for both the front and rear wings throughout 2025.

From the start of the new F1 season in Australia, the FIA will expand the static deflection tests measuring the rear wings, and it will also be introducing additional front wing tests from the Spanish GP at the start of June.

The move presents a U-turn for the FIA as F1's governing body initially said it was satisfied with its current tests, given the difficulty of imposing further tests that would work well across F1 teams' varying wing designs.

But it has now sent round a draft update to the relevant technical directive TD018 that will further clamp down on the phenomenon. Its main motivation behind the late change of stance is to stop aero elasticity from being such a big talking point among teams over the new season.

“Following further analysis carried out by the FIA Single Seater Department after the conclusion of the 2024 season, we are committed to ensure that bodywork flexibility is no longer a point of contention for the 2025 season," the FIA confirmed to Motorsport.com.

"As part of this effort, we will be increasing the scope of rear wing tests from the start of the 2025 season, and additional front wing tests being introduced from the Spanish GP.

"This phased approach allows teams to adapt without the need to discard existing components unnecessarily. These adjustments are aimed at further refining our ability to monitor and enforce bodywork flexibility regulations, ensuring a level playing field for all competitors to promote fair and exciting racing.”

FIA officials arrive in the paddock

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Motorsport.com understands delaying the front wing clampdown, which reduces the flexing allowance from 15mm to 10mm among other measures, to June is a move to help the teams adjust to the stricter tests without having to discard their front wing for the start of the 2025 season, with some teams intending to stick to their 2024 wings.

The concept of aero-elasticity has become a huge talking point over the 2022-25 rules cycle, as the current generation of venturi cars has been extremely difficult for teams to balance between low and high speed corners.

Having wings that bend under aerodynamic load, and therefore change characteristics, has been a huge tool to help find set-up compromises and broaden a car's operating window, and McLaren has been credited as one of the teams to best exploit the concept on its championship-winning MCL38.

But its progress has also raised eyebrows elsewhere, with Ferrari querying whether or not the rate of flexing teams have been leaning towards is still within the regulations. In an interview with Motorsport.com, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur said the Scuderia had held off on its own flexi-wing design as it expected the FIA to clamp down on what other teams were doing last summer, having installed cameras and stickers to further monitor the phenomenon at July's Belgian Grand Prix.

But when the FIA finally announced it would not take any steps, Ferrari was forced to produce its own design for Singapore with a big delay compared to its rivals. "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. It's difficult because with the cost cap you have to make your choices,” Vasseur said.

“It means that if you are convinced that it won't be allowed, and you have start to develop something, then it's costing you a time in the wind tunnel."

The FIA is now acting to prevent further uproar about the issue, having already asked teams including McLaren to make tweaks to their rear wings last year.