Controversy over flexible wings: FIA continues the search for mini-DRS at Albert Park circuit. Australian GP practice: FIA officials installed 80 UltraHD cameras to measure wing flexion.

At the end of February, the FIA issued Technical Directive TD034, instructing teams to equip their cars with two UltraHD cameras focused on the rear wing. This was similar to last year’s request, which aimed to monitor front wing flexibility. On the first day of track action in Australia, the FIA activated these new measures for rear wing flexion by installing additional cameras to record and potentially verify the presence of a phenomenon known as “mini-DRS.”

The FIA mounted 80 cameras (four per car) to film the left and right sides of both front and rear wings, later selecting which images to analyze. A team representative explained that data was collected in a cross-referenced manner, with one car’s front left and rear right wings being monitored, and the opposite on the other car.

The FIA’s technical delegates replicated the process used in 2024 (starting from the Belgian Grand Prix), now focusing on rear wings. Last year, image analysis led to the decision to tighten static tests, set to take effect at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Attention has increasingly shifted to rear wings, particularly after the Baku weekend, where Liberty Media’s cameras unintentionally revealed the behavior of McLaren’s wing, quickly dubbed “Mini-DRS.” The controversy following the Azerbaijan GP prompted the FIA to request modifications from McLaren, which responded by introducing a new wing specification. However, the matter remains unresolved. During recent testing in Sakhir, Red Bull’s technical director, Pierre Waché, accused both McLaren and Ferrari—albeit not too subtly—of using different but similarly intended mini-DRS solutions on their cars.

All wings, including those of the teams named by Pierre Waché, have passed the static tests, which dictate that wing elements must not flex more than 2 millimeters when subjected to a force of 750 newtons on either side. However, the FIA aims to determine whether greater flexion occurs at high speeds on straights. If images confirm suspicions, the next step would be to request the implicated team(s) to make modifications.

This approach, however, would not satisfy the teams—several of which are strongly opposed to the situation—but the FIA’s options are limited. Under current regulations, no penalties exist that would allow the governing body to take direct action. The only possible measure would be a rule change similar to that applied to front wings, tightening static tests by increasing load values and enforcing stricter flexion limits. Without such a change, wings will continue to flex, and the controversy is likely to persist until the end of the season.