Formula 1 F1 – Pre-Season Tests – Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain – March 13, 2021 McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl arrives before the REUTERS / Hamad I Mohammed test
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff warned on Thursday of possible protests and judicial measures if the Formula 1 board of directors did not accelerate a “half-baked” procedure against flexible rear wings.
The Austrian spoke after McLaren boss Andreas Seidl said some rivals gained an unacceptable advantage because the International Automobile Federation (FIA) postponed the action until June 15.
“Delaying the introduction for whatever reason leaves us in a legal vacuum and leaves the door open for protests,” Wolff, whose team has won the last seven drivers and constructors’ titles, told reporters at the Monaco Grand Prix.
“There are probably two other teams that are hardest hit, maybe more, and obviously a protest could end in the ICA (International Court of Appeal).
“And that’s a messy situation and it can take weeks to get a result.”
A technical briefing was sent to the teams last week notifying them of new load deflection tests that should be introduced if some were suspected of bending the aerodynamic rules with their rear wings. Continue reading
According to the rules of Formula 1, all components that influence the aerodynamic performance of a car must be rigidly secured and remain immobile.
The teams at the Monaco Grand Prix this weekend and the following race in Azerbaijan will be able to race as usual, where a wing flexing at speed on the long and fast straight can make a big difference.
The seven-time Mercedes world champion Lewis Hamilton, who leads Red Bulls Max Verstappen by 14 points after four races, reckoned that the rear wing of his rival could be worth six tenths of a second in Baku.
Wolff said the race was four weeks away and it was “incomprehensible” that a team could not stiffen a rear wing by then.
Seidl, whose team is powered by Mercedes, told reporters it was pretty clear what was going on with rivals’ cars in the last race in Barcelona.
He said McLaren had nothing to change, but some teams had benefited from “doing things that we believe are clearly against the law”.
“It is clearly something that we disagree with, giving them another advantage for future races,” added the German.
“We hope that the FIA shows a very strong hand here. That is simply not acceptable because it puts teams that comply with the regulations at a disadvantage.”
Media reports pointed the finger particularly at Red Bull, Alfa Romeo and Alpine.
Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto said his team has “made the most of what is possible and we believe it is right” but needs to “adjust its wing slightly” and is happy with the timeframe for the redesign.
He doubted this would have much of an impact on the lap time.
Alpine’s Laurent Rossi said Renault’s own outfit would also make changes, while Red Bull’s Christian Horner suggested moving control to other teams and other areas of their cars soon.
“There has to be a lead time,” he said of the new stress tests. “You can’t expect parts to be enchanted overnight at no cost.”
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