McLaren's rise to the top of the F1 Constructors' Championship is the talk of the paddock ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. Having started the 2023 season from the back of the grid and “just fighting for points”, Lando Norris said before last season's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the team is 20 points ahead of Red Bull heading into the final stages and Norris is closing in on Max Verstappen in the Drivers' Championship.
But it wouldn't be F1 without a few wrangles over the rules.
Earlier in the season, McLaren's front wing was questioned by rivals, and even Mercedes, after video footage from the Italian Grand Prix showed the wing “flexing” under aerodynamic loads. Rivals raised concerns about the flexible front wing and whether it complied with FIA regulations, but the sport's governing body settled the issue for the time being, issuing a statement ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix saying “all front wings are now compliant with the 2024 regulations”.
However, new problems have emerged with the rear wing of McLaren's MCL38. After Oscar Piastri's thrilling win in Baku, keen observers have seen on video footage that the MCL38's rear wing is also flexing and lowering under aerodynamic loads, creating a so-called “Mini DRS“This animation is Formula cars only A detailed explanation of this feature can be found below.
The rear wing was a hot topic at Thursday's media day. The FIA released a separate statement on McLaren's rear wing on Thursday, saying the team had passed all tests carried out by the sport's governing body. An FIA spokesman said: BBC Sports They said they were “considering the data and additional evidence that has emerged from the Baku Grand Prix and considering mitigation measures for future implementation.”
A McLaren spokesman said: BBC Sports It states that the MCL38 is “legal in all deflection tests and complies with all regulations.”
Nevertheless, both Red Bull drivers raised their own concerns about the legality of the MCL38 in Singapore on Thursday. Media conversations In Singapore, Sergio Perez called the MCL38 an “illegal” car. “It's clearly not regulated,” Perez said. “It's an illegal car, but it seems to be allowed. I'm very surprised.”
So FIA press conferenceVerstappen made this remark when asked about McLaren's rear wing on Thursday.
“I've seen the footage. That's the great thing about social media, isn't it? Everybody has the video. And then, of course, there's a lot of discussion. I mean, obviously, it's in motion – it's fast. It may be sensible, it may not, but at the end of the day, it's the FIA who decides if it's legal or not. Of course, Baku wasn't the first time it was used, it was other tracks,” Verstappen said. “I think it's important to be clear. But it's not just the rear wing, it's the front wing too. What is allowed? How much is it allowed to bend? All these things, right? So, from our side, we just have to wait and see.”
Piastri commented on the legality of the rear wing: The New York Times Piastri said on Thursday that the part was “legal” in his and the FIA's opinion. “To be honest, the first time I found out about it was last week, along with everybody else. And it's not a grey area. It's tested every week. It's legal,” he said. FIA press conference“They're doing different tests with the rear wing right now. So, to be honest with you, I didn't even know it was going on until three days ago. So, in sport, it makes sense to find as much performance as you can without breaking the rules. And we feel that's what we're doing. And that's what it takes to have a championship-winning car and a championship-winning team.”
While the FIA's position that rear wings are legal has stood for now, the debate is a reminder of F1's underlying nature: certainly, the skill, will and determination of the drivers play a big role in determining winners and losers on the track, but the sport is as much about engineering problems to be solved by the men and women working in the factories as it is about the drivers in the box.
And whenever there are rules and regulations to follow, loopholes are found and limits are pushed.
After this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix there is a three-week gap before the United States Grand Prix in Austin, during which time it will be interesting to see whether the FIA provides further clarification on the matter, or whether McLaren's nine rivals will introduce similar rear wings in Texas.
