Red Bull Urges The FIA To Investigate Mercedes F1 Front Wing
- Red Bull Racing has reportedly asked the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to investigate Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1’s new front wing design.
- The complainant accused the three-pointed star marque of circumventing the sport’s stringent regulations.
Mercedes F1 at the Canadian Grand Prix (Image courtesy of Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1)
Mercedes F1 at the Canadian GP
The Canadian Grand Prix was the most successful race of Mercedes F1 so far in the current season. George Russell scored a podium at the end of the chaotic event by finishing third at 4.347 seconds after the winner, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, crossed the checkered flag.
The race result also served as the team’s first podium for 2024. The Mercedes drivers capturing the fastest lap was another notable accomplishment for the team at Montreal’s Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
Criticisms at Mercedes F1’s Front Wing Upgrade
Despite Russell calling his performance a “missed opportunity” after losing his pole position advantage to Verstappen and Ferrari’s Lando Norris, he and his partner, Lewis Hamilton, sounded pleased with their cars in their post-race interviews. However, most analysts primarily attributed Mercedes F1’s recent progress to its front wing overhaul.
Mercedes introduced a new front wing upgrade in Russell’s car at the previous Monaco Grand Prix. At that time, the redesign didn’t appear to significantly impact the team’s performance as it only resulted in Russell capturing fifth and Hamilton bagging seventh.
The narrative suddenly changed in Canada, though, when Russell and Hamilton got third and fourth places, respectively. Both men were already carrying the revised front wing, which eventually led to Red Bull questioning their use.
The current leader in the Constructors criticized its rival’s more flexible front wing, which it claimed was engineered to perform differently while on the move. It argued that such undue advantage couldn’t be detected under the static conditions of a regular FIA inspection.
Amid the accusations, F1 Nation Podcast host Tom Clarkson explained that Mercedes’ “eureka moment” with the flexible front wing seemingly stemmed from Red Bull’s present formula for its cars. The expert thinks the changes give the contender a significant edge on the way to the Spanish GP.
