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Chinese Grand Prix: Will F1 flexi-wing clampdown impact pecking order in Shanghai after rule change?

Simon Lazenby, Bernie Collins and Ted Kravitz discuss F1's latest major technical talking point which could impact this weekend's Chinese GP; The F1 Show podcast is your one-stop shop to stay across all the biggest stories in Formula 1; download and subscribe via Spotify, Apple, Spreaker

Wednesday 19 March 2025 17:08, UK

After just one race of the new 2025 Formula 1 season, there is a big technical talking point after the FIA decided to clampdown on flexi-wings ahead of this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.

The 10 F1 teams will have to pass tougher rear-wing flexibility tests from Shanghai onwards, or face possible disqualification for an illegal car.

After the so-called 'mini-DRS' controversy of last season around the level of bodywork flexing being seen on some teams' rear wings when running at speed on track - an episode which saw McLaren agree to make adjustments to their design after the Azerbaijan GP - the FIA confirmed in January that it was introducing new load tests for wings for the 2025 season to further limit how much the parts are able to flex.

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"Basically the gap in the rear wing between the main plane and the flap that moves for the DRS, there's a definition of what that gap is," explained Sky Sports F1's Bernie Collins on the latest episode of The F1 Show.

What are flexi-wings and why is it a big topic?

F1’s technical regulations state that bodywork on the car should not move - the driver-activated DRS rear-wing overtaking flap aside. But, given the aerodynamic forces and loads at play when cars run at speed on track, there are tolerance allowances built in for how much front and rear wings can move - or flex.

In order to police legality in this crucial performance area of the car, the FIA carries out load tests on wings in their garage over race weekends to check cars comply with the rules, while they can also monitor performance out on track in other ways such as via rear-wing cameras.

The highly-competitive nature of F1 competition between the teams, though, means they push the boundaries of the regulations and, where possible, exploit grey areas to try and gain performance advantage over each other.

Given the front and rear-wing load tests are carried out by the FIA when cars are static, there have long been on-off suggestions over the years about different teams finding ways of getting their wings to pass the static tests but then flexing more than is permitted once out on track.

If this practice becomes obvious or more prevalent, the FIA often responds by making its tests more stringent, which is what again appears to have happened in this latest instance before China.

Why might teams want their wings to flex? Well, while they want their cars to produce as much downforce in the corners, it is not as useful down the straights as it creates drag. So any ability for the upper rear wing element, for instance, to deform backwards on the straight slightly and then return to its standard positioning for corners would be beneficial for overall lap time.

"They apply a load to that and they're trying to make sure that when they apply that load, it doesn't deflect by a certain amount. That was allowed to deflect by 2mm and now it's only allowed to flex by 0.5mm. So they've really reduced the amount that can deflect when they put the load on it.

"What's interesting is that they've done it so quickly, so all the teams are currently transferring everything from Australia to China.

"Any team that [would have] failed [the new tests] last week, would have a big turnaround to pass this week, which makes me wonder if they think the teams would pass with the current setup."

New deflection limits for rear wings were introduced from last weekend's first round in Melbourne, while additional concerns about front-wing flexing are being addressed in test changes being introduced from June's Spanish GP, the season's ninth round.

But after fresh intrigue around rear-wing flexing on the new 2025 cars in pre-season testing last month led to the FIA undertaking extra monitoring in Melbourne with additional cameras placed on cars during practice sessions, the governing body informed teams early on Monday of a fresh tightening of what will now be permitted regarding movement of the upper rear wing in static tests from the second's season round.

While the FIA confirmed all cars passed the tests in place in Melbourne and therefore the entire grid ran legally, it had decided from evaluations and analysis at Albert Park that "sufficient grounds exist for a tougher test" to be in place from Shanghai onwards.

Sky Sports F1 pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz observed some of the top teams checking their rear wings in Melbourne, which is likely to be an even bigger theme in Shanghai with the new tests.

Ted said: "I saw McLaren doing their own tests. I saw Ferrari doing their own tests. You could barely see some sponsors' logos for all the contact point stickers that were on various bits of wings for all of the teams throughout the weekend.

"The question for me is, clearly this is one or two or three teams agitating towards the teams that they think are in a sort of grey area for this.

"The only thing that's in the back of my head is, is how much buy-in the teams would have to have, who think they're going to be in trouble to say to the FIA, 'look, this is completely impossible. You can't expect us in a back-to-back to build entirely new wings'.

"If that is the case, then I think it will be a big ask, but something in the back of my mind tells me the teams who are stretching the limits with aero flexibility would have had to say, 'OK bring in your new rules if that's what you want to do', knowing that they would have been able to pass them and they would have had that data from Australia."

Listen to the latest episode of The F1 Show as Bernie Collins, Ted Kravitz and Simon Lazenby review a dramatic Australian Grand Prix and look ahead to the Chinese Grand Prix. Subscribe now on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Spreaker

Sky Sports F1's live Chinese GP schedule

Thursday March 20

5am: Drivers' Press Conference

Friday March 21

1am: F1 Academy Practice
3am: Chinese GP Practice One (session starts at 3.30am)*
5.30am: Team Principals' Press Conference
6am: F1 Academy Qualifying*
6.45am: Chinese GP Sprint Qualifying (session starts at 7.30am)*

Saturday March 22

2.25am: Chinese GP Sprint build-up*
3am: Chinese GP Sprint*
5.45am: F1 Academy Race 1*
6.35am: Chinese GP Qualifying build-up*
7am: CHINESE GP QUALIFYING*
9am: Ted's Qualifying Notebook*

Sunday March 23

2.40am: F1 Academy Race 2
5.30am: Chinese GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
7am: THE CHINESE GRAND PRIX*
9am: Chinese GP reaction: Chequered flag*
10am: Ted's Notebook*

*Also on Sky Sports Main Event

The F1 circus heads straight to Shanghai this week for the first Sprint weekend of the season at the Chinese GP, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - No contract, cancel anytime

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