Technical issues could derail potential F1 title fight

The championship leaderboard was changed at the Monaco Formula One Grand Prix. Perhaps the title chase we have all hoped for is on and the current technical issues will not overshadow the on-track action.

Unfortunately, the issue of “bendy” rear wings continues. The alleged deflection of the wing was reported by current world champion Lewis Hamilton, after following the Red Bull of Max Verstappen during qualifying in Spain.

Christian Horner and Dr Helmut Marko of Red Bull do not agree and believe the accusation emanated from Mercedes team chief Toto Wolff. Horner is reported as saying: “The FIA is completely satisfied with our car and it has passed all of the various rigorous testing.”

But Nikolas Tombazis, FIA technical chief, may not be in full agreement. “We have become aware of some cases where rear designs comply with the requirements of the rules but exhibit excessive deflections while the cars are in motion,” he said. He wrote to all teams notifying them of new load deflection tests to be introduced from 15 June.

Tombazis wrotes: “We have become aware of some cases whereby rear designs which comply with the requirements of articles 3.9.3 and 3.9.4 nonetheless exhibit excessive deflections while the cars are in motion. We believe that such deformations can have a significant influence on a car’s aerodynamic performance and hence could be deemed to contravene the provisions of article 3.8.”

McLaren’s Andreas Seidl is happy with the new directive but not the delay before implementation. He is reported as saying: “They had that advantage for several races, which is something we are not happy with. But now allowing them to have further advantage for more races is something we strongly disagree with and where we are in conversations with the FIA.”

Wolff agrees but in stronger terms, saying the delay leaves Mercedes “in no man’s land” and the new regulation is “a half-baked solution”. The Austrian also intimated there are likely to be protests from other teams during the season.

The changes are being implemented to ensure no team gains an unfair advantage by circumventing the regulations. Fair enough, but if a car has been tested and meets all the stipulated rules and regulations pre-season, surely it is acceptable to race all year, providing the car remains the same as originally tested.

Perhaps some have forgotten the Racing Point brake duct saga of 2020, where the team was fined €400 000 (about R6.7-million) but allowed to continue using the illegal component.

Then there was the saga of the controversial Mercedes Direct Axis Steering system. It was approved by the FIA for 2020 and permitted for the entire season. Then it was promptly banned for 2021. It is time to stop moving the goal posts.