Top teams are being accused of still featuring the ‘mini-drs’ wing in Bahrain pre-season testing that were banned after controversy last season.
Last year, top teams saw the FIA crack down on the flexible aspects of their back wings. Discussions started after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix which saw videos surface of Oscar Piastri’s rear wing.
The DRS slot was seen opening under the high speed parts of the track. This created a ‘mini-DRS’ wing that allowed the McLaren to gain vital extra speed on the straights.
McLaren was deemed to have not broken any rules. Alongside the FIA, they agreed to proactively change it to avoid punishment further down the line.
However, ahead of the 2025 season, the FIA decided to change the rules to prevent any exploitation of the rules in the new season.
Article 30.10.10 was changed to say: “Except in the event of a DRS failure or the transitioning from one position into the other. The DRS bodywork can have only two positions. Such that the DRS bodywork position must be the same before and after each state of deployment”
Clarifying that it should be clear in each team’s DRS wings that the DRS is open or closed. An in-between state violating the rules. However, despite the rule change, there have been discussions throughout pre-season testing that some teams may still be using these flexi wings.
The slot gap width was also reduced from 10-15mm to 9.4-13mm. With hopes that the tightening width would mean less room for possible flexing and the subsequent ‘mini-drs’ effect.
The culprits
Pierre Waché, Red Bull’s technical director was vocal about his thoughts on the issues during pre-season testing. He said, “It is still going on, I think Ferrari and McLaren are doing the mini-DRS stuff still.” He continued to tell The Race that the flexing was ‘quite visible’.
Another team principal admitted, “Looking at the videos we have seen, some of the rear wings out there appear to be quite flexible. It is something we are keeping a very close eye on.”
Beyond the slot gap itself, the entire rear flexing is going to be something that is closely watched by the opposition. During testing, the FIA does not strictly regulate teams’ compliance with the rules. Waiting until the first race in Australia to police the cars.
Similarly, there have been no formal complaints brought to the FIA yet despite Red Bull’s vocal issues. But Waché made it clear it would be something that would carefully be watched in the early stages of the season.
Feature Image Credit: Red Bull Content Pool
