Max Verstappen says last weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix was not the first time McLaren used their controversial rear wing design and wants the FIA to clarify its legality.
The FIA is considering whether to revise its rules on flexible bodywork after images emerged of the MCL38’s DRS flap opening slightly at high speed in Baku.
Verstappen, who finished fifth in Sunday’s race, said he’d seen the footage of the wing which appears to deform under peak loads.
“It’s quite clear, of course, that it’s moving, like, it’s at speed,” said Verstappen. “It might be smart, might not be smart, but at the end of the day it’s up to the FIA to decide if it’s legal or not.
“Of course Baku is not the first time that it was used, so there were other tracks as well. I guess it’s important to come with a clarification.
“But that’s not only on the rear wing it’s the front wing as well. What is allowed? How much is it allowed to bend? All these kind of things, right? So we just have to wait and see from our side.”
The FIA said in a statement on Thursday all teams are considered to comply with the rules if their wings pass deflection tests. No official complaint against any team’s design has been made, it added.
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Oscar Piastri, who won Sunday’s race for McLaren, insisted there is no doubt over the design’s legality. “It’s legal,” he said. “As long as it passes all the tests – we get tested a lot – and it passes.”
“It’s certainly not the magic bullet for why we’re competitive,” he added. “But it’s legal, it passes all the tests, so I’m pretty happy with it.”
While Red Bull haven’t won any of the last seven rounds, McLaren have taken victory in three of the last five events. Piastri said it was “natural” for rivals to question the legality of their car.
“I think you look at any car that’s been competitive and it always gets scrutinised to the highest level,” he said. “You look at the Mercedes a few years ago with their rear wing and the infamous ’50K touch’.
“You look at a lot of the teams trying to work out Red Bull’s DRS effect for the last couple of years. We’ve seen flexi front wings in the past and all sorts.
“So I think naturally there’s going to be scrutiny of just people curious to know why your car is competitive. I certainly don’t think it’s personal to us.
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“All the other teams are trying to find [performance] including ourselves, we’re not just thinking that we’re the best out there and we don’t need to learn anything from anyone else. We’re always looking at the other teams as well.
“So I think it’s only natural and when you’re at the front and when you have a car within a second of you for 30 laps and the rear wing camera on there for 30 laps, then naturally people are going to notice it more too.”
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2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
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