Source: REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo
[Saba Sports News] The technical directive regarding the “flexible wings” loophole officially came into effect at the Spanish Grand Prix. Before the race, Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, made a rare admission during an interview: Ferrari may become the biggest beneficiary. The heart of this backstage battle among teams lies in the misuse of front wing deformation technology by multiple teams – when the car travels at high speed, some teams use special materials to increase the downward pressure by making the front wing bend downwards, although this does not break the physical rule boundaries, it violates the principle that “air dynamic components must remain rigid.” Data shows that in the first eight races of the season, the deformation of the Mercedes W16 front wing at 300 km/h reached 12 mm, while the deformation of the Ferrari SF-25 front wing was only 7 mm, and this difference will translate into track disadvantages under the new regulations’ laser scanning inspections. The FIA technical representative confirmed that the Barcelona Grand Prix introduced a new type of laser displacement sensor, with detection accuracy reaching 0.1 mm. Any team found violating the rules must replace the component before qualifying, or face the risk of disqualification.