Are the flexible front wings of McLaren and Mercedes legal or not? Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko previously demanded that the FIA investigate these so-called ‘flexi-wings’, but team boss Christian Horner doesn’t entirely agree with his colleague that immediate action is necessary. The Brit trusts that the governing body will resolve the issue.
While Mercedes and McLaren are showing an upward trend in the development of their cars, Red Bull is in a slump. One component that presumably helps both the German team and the British racing stable enormously in their success is the flexible front wing. Marko therefore demanded that the FIA investigate the parts, but Horner prefers to keep calm.
Clarifying Regulations: A Matter for the FIA
“I believe the regulations are very clear. And I think that’s an FIA matter,” says Horner to the media present in Monza. “There are tests they must pass, but then you have to look at the wording of the regulations.”
Confidence in the FIA
Horner candidly discusses how in 2021, when Red Bull itself used the ‘flexi-wings’, it also received the benefit of the doubt from the FIA. “If you think back to 2021, around Baku, there was a change in the regulation for the front wings,” the Brit reflects. “And although our wings passed the test, air elasticity was used. So that’s an FIA issue. We must therefore have a bit of confidence that they will resolve it.”
Is Red Bull considering adding the component to the RB20 if the front wings of their two rivals indeed prove to be legal? “Well, if it’s acceptable, then you have to participate,” concludes the team boss.
