Formula 1 teams will have to pass tougher rear-wing flexibility tests from this weekend’s Chinese Grand Prix in a fresh immediate clampdown by the FIA following 2025’s season opener in Melbourne.
After the so-called ‘mini-DRS’ controversy of last season around the level of bodywork flexing being seen on some team’s rear wings when at speed on track, the sport’s governing body confirmed in January that it was introducing new load tests for rear wings during the 2025 season to limit how much the parts are able to flex.
Further concerns about front-wing flexing are also seeing more stringent tests 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 led to the FIA undertaking extra monitoring with cameras on cars during practice sessions on track in Melbourne, the governing body informed teams early on Monday of a fresh tightening of what is permitted regarding movement of the upper rear wing.
While the FIA confirmed all 10 teams’ cars ran legally and passed the tests in place in Melbourne, it had decided from evaluations during the course of the opening race weekend that “sufficient grounds exist for a tougher test” from Shanghai onwards.
The F1 field races to the first corner at the start of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix
An FIA statement issued on Monday read: “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.
“In addition, the FIA requested to the teams to use cameras in Free Practice Sessions to monitor the on-track deformations exhibited by the cars during the Australian Grand Prix.
“Having analysed footage from the rear wing deformations combined to the static deflections measured inside the FIA garage in Melbourne, the FIA has concluded that sufficient grounds exist for a tougher test to be introduced from the forthcoming Chinese Grand Prix on the upper rear wing.”
Given the Shanghai event begins in just four days’ time, the FIA confirmed that a one-off tolerance will be added into the new 0.5mm limit for this weekend’s round before the directive takes full effect from the following race in Japan on April 4-6.
“More specifically, Article 3.15.17, introduced in 2025, states that if 75kg of vertical load is applied on either extremity of the rear wing mainplane, the distance between the mainplane and the flap (also known as “slot gap”) must not vary by more than 2mm,” added the statement.
“From the forthcoming Grand Prix in Shanghai, this limit will be reduced to 0.5mm. Due to the short notice for Shanghai only a tolerance of 0.25mm will be added to this new limit.
The statement confirmed that “during the Melbourne event all cars tested against the requirements of Article 3.15.17 and found to comply, therefore all cars raced in Melbourne were deemed to be legal”.
More to follow…
The F1 circus heads straight to Shanghai this week for the first Sprint weekend of the season at the Chinese GP, with coverage starting on Friday live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – No contract, cancel anytime
