Front wing flexibility: a stroll in the gray area of ​​the regulations…

Flexibility! It's not the most well-known word in the F1 lexicon, but it's not far from being the most used, because by nature, a body of Formula 1 cannot be totally rigid. Therefore, a certain "flexibility" must be allowed. A defined, framed, regulated margin. A "grey area", the ground of all controversies, the subject of all discussions between competitors and governing bodies for years.

Yesterday at the 2021 Spanish Grand Prix, a video showing the rear wing of Red Bull collapsing under the effect of speed on the start/finish straight of the Barcelona circuit, arouses the ire of Mercedes. Today, ironically, it is the front wing of the Anglo-German team and McLaren that open the Pandora's box of aeroelasticity. From accuser, the Brackley-based team finds itself on the bench of suspects with that of Woking. Conversely, under fire from criticism three years ago, Red Bull is this time the team that bears the fart with Ferrari et Williams. It's all about interpretation in the small world of F1 or, rather, it's all about interpretation!

(F1 TV screenshot)

Two days after the Italian Grand Prix, the FIA ​​therefore clarified its position at the end of a first period of control which began at the Belgian Grand Prix. In the published press release, we can read that it " examines the front wings at each test, checking the conformity of many points (surfaces, deflections) in relation to the technical regulation co