McLaren’s rear-wing flexibility drew attention from the F1 community after Oscar Piastri’s win in Azerbaijan last Sunday. The MCL38 seemed to feature a ‘mini DRS’ effect on the main straights, which allegedly provided Piastri with an advantage. The FIA, the governing body of the sport, has taken note of the discussions and issued a statement on Thursday.
Dutch journalist Erik van Haren reported on X (formerly Twitter) that the FIA was still monitoring data from the Azerbaijan GP. Responding to questions related to McLaren’s rear wing, the FIA stated,
“The FIA is closely monitoring the flexibility of bodywork on all cars and reserves the right to request teams to make modifications at any point during the season.”
Statement FIA naar aanleiding van vragen over achtervleugel McLaren tijdens Grand Prix van Azerbeidzjan. Data van die race wordt dus nog bestudeerd. pic.twitter.com/swaoSZWbMz
— Erik van Haren (@ErikvHaren) September 19, 2024
They added that if they are found not guilty and pass all deflection tests, ‘no further action’ would be taken.
The FIA revealed that they are closely examining McLaren’s rear wing from Baku and are “considering any mitigating measures for future implementation.” They described this as standard procedure and stated that if irregularities were found, they would make technical adjustments to the guidelines.
The ‘mini DRS‘ on Piastri’s MCL38 appeared to be a small deflection on the rear wing, giving the Melbourne-born driver a pace advantage on the straights without needing the DRS open.
Other teams have taken notice, with Red Bull and Ferrari reportedly considering raising the issue with the FIA themselves. This controversy follows ongoing questions about McLaren’s front-wing flexibility, an issue they share with Mercedes.
