New tests to prevent teams from using “flexible” rear wings will significantly increase costs, Alfa Romeo team boss Frederic Vasseur warned.
The rear wing stiffness tests become more stringent after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as the rear wings of some teams deform at high speed. Vasseur said he was “upset” with the verdict as it will force his team to develop new rear wings.
“Introducing a new test is a different matter, but to change the value of the test is not fair at all,” he said. “The business of Formula 1 engineers and designers is to design parts at the limit of the regulations. If you changed a scheme over the course of the season you’d have to design new parts and the teams who say they aren’t affected are kidding. “
“We are all struggling to save money,” he added. “[We] Talk to cut a person down on the right track, and then we have things like that. It’s just a joke. “
Some competing teams have claimed that the late launch of the test will put those whose wings already meet the rules at a disadvantage. However, Vasseur believes that all teams need to change their designs.
“It will affect everyone because at the end of the day we had the rule, and even if some teams disagree because they don’t want to disclose their own game, at the end of the day we had a rule with the maximum deformation and the load and me think we are no smarter than the others.
“Everyone stuck to the limit and the FIA decided to change the limit. It’s a bit of a surprise that they’ve changed loads and deformation over the course of the season.
“It’s not the introduction of a new test or a new way of doing the test, it’s that they changed the value, and this is the first time I’ve remembered seeing something like this. When you are at the limit, when you do a good job, you have to produce new grand pianos. “
“We will have time to do this, but it will cost us a fortune,” he added.
Vasseur doubts the change will significantly improve the cars’ performance. “It will be marginal because we worked back to back [test] a couple of times and the difference wasn’t big. “
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2021 Monaco Grand Prix
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