2021 F1 car Flexi wing questions heating up at Baku as competitors disappointed with the FIA’s delayed test schedule. Mercedes and McLaren strongly oppose the Red Bull Flexi-rear wing usage.

At the same time, Red Bull points the finger back at Mercedes W12’s front wing. Mercedes has reacted by saying that the Red Bull front wings are the same and could also be protested.

Initially, Lewis Hamilton raises the Red Bull flexi rear wing violation. The Brit claims Red Bull gained their cars three-tenths of a second per lap in Barcelona, which would be extra advantageous in the Baku street circuit with its long straight [2.2 kilometers]. Mercedes emphasize the video evidence showing the entire structure of the wing flexing downwards on the straights, providing an aerodynamic advantage.

The rules (Article 3.8 of the Technical Regulations specifically) dictate that all components influencing a car’s aerodynamic performance – such as front and rear wings – must be “rigidly secured to the entirely sprung part of the car” and “remain immobile in relation to the sprung part of the car”.

In other words, moveable (or flexible) aerodynamic devices are not allowed – save for the DRS – because in theory they can offer a performance gain.

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff labeled the technical directive “half-baked”, saying the delay in introducing the new tests created “a legal vacuum and leaves the door open for protests”.

“It is incomprehensible that within four weeks, you can’t stiffen up a rear wing for the track that is probably most affected by a flexible rear wing,” said Wolff in Monaco.

“It leaves us in no-mans-land because the technical directive says that the movement of some rear wings has been judged as excessive,” he stated.

“Delaying the introduction for whatever reason leaves us in a legal vacuum and leaves the door open for protests. It’s not only us but probably two other teams that are most affected, maybe more.

“And then probably a protest could end up in the ICA [The FIA’s International Court of Appeal], and that is a messy situation that can take weeks before we have a result, and we should not have ended in this situation.”

Red Bull, Ferrari and Alpine bosses admitted they would have to “slightly adapt” their cars to pass the new F1 tests from June 15.

Red Bull boss Christian Horner told Sky F1: “The car passes all the legality tests and that’s what the car has to do. So they’ve changed the test, and that’s well within the rights of the FIA to do, so we will have to modify the components to make sure they meet the new test.

“I don’t think ‘spirit of the rules’ exists. It’s either black or it’s white, it either complies with the rules or it doesn’t. And that’s how you design your cars. It’s difficult to quantify,” he added. “But I’d be surprised if it was a tenth.”

McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl also hits out the Red Bull’s illegal flexible rear wing advantages. He told reporters it was pretty clear what was going on with rival’s (Red Bull) cars at the previous race in Barcelona.

“We strongly disagree with the timing of the introduction,” Seidl said.

“For us there is no reason why it has been delayed for a further two races and give the guys that have designed their cars in order to have these fl exi-wings two more races to have the benefit of it, because from our point of view, what these guys are using is clearly against the regulations.

“We are having dialogue with the FIA at the moment and it’s a good opportunity for the FIA to show a strong hand here and not accept this anymore from today onwards.”

Attack over Mercedes front wing

Video of the Mercedes’ W12 from the Emilia Romagna GP seemed to indicate the team’s front wing flaps moving up and down.

“It’s a competitive business,” said Horner. “You’ve only got to look a bit of the footage from Imola, when we’re talking about flexibility, I think it’s very unfair to point it at one direction at the rear of the car when you should also perhaps be looking at the front of the car.

“I think if the camera was facing the other way on our rivals’ side they’d be having the same discussion with you, 100%.”

Wolff responded “will need to modify our wing, we will need to soften it.”

“Our wing is extremely rigid, complying to the famous article 3.8 that it must remain immobile,” he added.

“The new test that has been introduced is a half-baked solution which is giving us an opportunity, so the whole thing can soften and can bend more in the future.

“We had a flexible wing situation last summer without receiving any feedback and we understand some of the teams’ frustration that when making the concept of this year’s car, that was an area that should have been tackled much earlier.”