Whisper Campaign Behind Sudden F1 Rule Change — And How It Could Impact McLaren
Formula One is buzzing with news as bosses announced a surprise rule change, giving teams only five days to adapt their rear wing designs before the upcoming Chinese Grand Prix. This unexpected directive could significantly impact McLaren and Australian driver Oscar Piastri’s hopes for the title. The FIA sent an email to all teams Monday morning following the Melbourne Grand Prix, stating that stricter checks on rear wing flex would be implemented, signaling a determined effort to level the playing field.
The movement of the rear wing in McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes cars late last season and during pre-season testing was dubbed a “mini-DRS” by experts at Red Bull. This alteration allowed these teams to gain enhanced speed advantages by creating a small gap in the rear wing’s movement, akin to the benefits provided by the Drag Reduction System (DRS). At high speeds, this slight movement could offer an extra 10-15 km/h advantage, facilitating easier overtaking.
Red Bull’s technical director, Pierre Wache, revealed to The Race that the FIA had not effectively addressed the rear wing issues his team raised last year, as McLaren came from behind to win the Constructors’ Championship. “I think Ferrari and McLaren are doing the mini-DRS stuff still,” Wache commented, hinting at underlying tensions within the pit lane surrounding these developments.
In haste following the race in Melbourne, the FIA swiftly introduced stricter regulations. The governing body stated, “As has been previously communicated, between the end of the 2024 season and the start of the 2025 season, the FIA exercised the authority it is granted under Article 3.15.1 of the Technical Regulations to introduce either new or more challenging load-deflection tests for the front wing (from Race 9, Spanish Grand Prix), the upper rear wing, and the beam rear wing.”
Significantly, Article 3.15.17 now stipulates that if a vertical load of 75 kg is applied to the extremities of the rear wing mainplane, the distance between the mainplane and flap must not vary by more than 2 mm. From the upcoming Grand Prix in Shanghai, this limit will be lowered to 0.5 mm, although a tolerance of 0.25mm will be allowed due to the short notice.
Furthermore, the FIA confirmed that all cars racing in Melbourne passed regulations regarding Article 3.15.17, yet the timing of this announcement raises eyebrows. Red Bull boss Christian Horner pointed out McLaren’s surprising tire management advantages following the race, especially as Lando Norris and Piastri established an 18-second lead over Max Verstappen during the event. Horner stated, “It was clear what the pecking order was today in terms of pace.” He underscored the rarity of teams managing superb tire performance without considerable degradation, calling it “strange.”
Amidst this backdrop, Sky Sports F1 pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz revealed that rival teams may be under pressure to highlight any perceived shortcomings of McLaren and Ferrari. “I saw McLaren doing their own tests. I saw Ferrari doing their own tests,” Kravitz noted, indicating the increase in scrutiny for top-performing teams.
Shifting focus, the Alpine F1 Team is hoping to rebound at the Chinese Grand Prix, the season’s first Sprint event, following a disappointing outing in Melbourne where neither Pierre Gasly nor Jack Doohan scored points. Gasly demonstrated promising speed with a top-10 finish before facing a late-race downpour that reshuffled the standings. He expressed optimism, stating, “It was disappointing to leave Melbourne without scoring points after showing promising pace across the weekend.”
Reflecting on his home race, Doohan, who crashed on the opening lap, is ready to compete in Shanghai. “There were lots of positive learnings to take from the weekend in Melbourne,” Doohan remarked, emphasizing his previous experience racing at the Shanghai track, notably from his Asian F3 win.
This upcoming round marks a crucial test for teams to swiftly adapt to the Sprint format, as they have only one hour of practice to refine performance. Gasly voiced his confidence in making a strong showing at the circuit, highlighting its challenging features, including the long, technical first corner.
Meanwhile, Lando Norris, fresh off his victory at the Australian Grand Prix, is set to chase his third consecutive win. “I’m confident that when we go to China... we can be very strong because we were strong there last year with not a very good car,” Norris stated, signaling confidence as the top-ranked driver heading into this next competition.
The Chinese Grand Prix offers the potential for exciting developments as rookie drivers like Liam Lawson from Red Bull look to prove themselves, while established figures like Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes, who boasts an impressive record in Shanghai, aim to capitalize on their experience to regain a competitive edge. Team boss, Fred Vasseur of Ferrari, expressed hope that “Shanghai will give us the opportunity to turn the page and move on immediately,” reinforcing the competitive spirit that defines Formula One.
As the teams prepare to face the challenges of Shanghai and cope with new regulatory pressures, fans and observers alike eagerly await to see how these influential changes will unfold on the track this weekend.
