Front wings: FIA changes rules, new technical directive against flexing coming in May. An upcoming FIA technical directive will change the landscape regarding front-wing flexing.

The tug-of-war continues

“We blocked the rear one, now the next step is the front ones.” With these words, Helmut Marko celebrated the FIA’s technical directive against McLaren’s flexible rear wing, which went down in history as the “mini DRS.” This innovation allowed Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris to make a difference in Baku during the Azerbaijan GP, where the wing helped the Australian defend against Charles Leclerc‘s attack.

The “mini DRS” effect created by the flexing of certain elements was clear and striking, but in terms of lap time, the impact of front-wing flexing is far greater. These aerodynamic components have brought Mercedes back into contention in 2024 and also enabled McLaren to make a significant leap in performance. Ferrari aligned with its rivals starting from the US GP, while Red Bull has fallen behind in this area. For this reason, the Milton Keynes-based team has been pressing the FIA for months to take a firmer stance on front wings that flex at certain speeds due to materials that facilitate this dynamic while still passing the FIA’s static tests during technical inspections.

Flexing in high-speed corners does not make the cars oversteer, while maintaining rigidity in slow corners helps counteract understeer, achieving that elusive balance so difficult to find with this generation of ground-effect cars. The costs of developing flexible wings are significant, and under budget cap regulations—especially with the major changes coming in 2026—it is challenging even for top teams to allocate resources effectively. Red Bull, for example, did not develop a specific rear wing for Monza and Baku in 2024, a decision they later regretted.

According to an exclusive report from autoracer.it, the situation is further complicated by an upcoming FIA technical directive, set to take effect in May, which will change the landscape regarding front-wing flexing. The latest draft sent to the teams outlines a reduction in the maximum allowable flexing. If this directive is enforced from May, the 2025 season will see at least five races under one regulation and 19 under another regarding front-wing flexing. If these reports are confirmed, this technical directive should not be seen as a victory solely for Red Bull—McLaren is also among the teams supporting and agreeing with this new directive.