Move to clip Red Bulls’ wings

Formula One’s governing body has warned teams it will introduce new rear-wing flexibility tests in June amid suspicions of rule bending.

Mercedes’ seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton flagged the issue after qualifying for last weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, which he won.

“The Red Bulls are really fast on the straights. They have this bendy wing on the back of their car which they put on today and they gained at least three tenths,” the Briton said.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told reporters on Sunday his cars’ rear wings had passed stringent tests and were legal. In a note sent to teams on Tuesday, International Automobile Federation (FIA) single-seater technical head Nikolas Tombazis said new load-deflection tests would be introduced from June 15.

Article 3.8 of F1’s technical regulations says all components influencing a car’s aerodynamic performance must be “rigidly secured to the entirely sprung part of the car” and “remain immobile in relation to the sprung part of the car”.

“We have become aware of some cases whereby rear designs which comply with the requirements of articles 3.9.3 and 3.9.4 nonetheless exhibit excessive deflections while the cars are in motion,” said Tombazis.

“We believe such deformations can have a significant influence on a car’s aerodynamic performance and hence could be deemed to contravene the provisions of article 3.8.”

Tombazis’ note did not mention any teams.

“We will be looking out for any anomalous behaviour of the deformation of the rear wing,” said Tombazis. “In particular we will not tolerate any persistent out-of-plane deformation that may be contrived to circumvent the symmetrical loading applied in the load-deflection tests.

“Should we observe any characteristics that indicate exploitation of this area, we will introduce further load-deflection tests.”