The issue of flexible wings has been a topic in the early races and will become even more prominent in Barcelona, where many believe McLaren could face difficulties due to the introduction of a new technical directive. The British team, in fact, has appeared since last year to be one of those able to best exploit the regulations, gaining significant performance advantages.
An example was the Baku Grand Prix, where Oscar Piastri was able to make a difference thanks to the now well-known “mini DRS” present on the MCL38. This feature immediately drew the attention of rival teams and the FIA. The Federation then decided to modify the regulation in terms of the maximum flex limits allowed.
Further changes were also made following what was seen in Melbourne at the start of this season. Based on what emerged in Australia, the FIA decided to introduce a new directive starting from the Shanghai weekend, in an attempt to address the “problem.”
All eyes on Barcelona
The turning point, however, could come in Barcelona when the flex tests will be modified. Some insiders believe that McLaren could be the team most affected by these changes, even though the papaya drivers do not seem concerned.
During the press conferences that opened the Bahrain GP weekend, Oscar Piastri addressed the issue directly. “I’m pretty confident we’ll be competitive throughout the year. I don’t think we’ll see much change in performance in Barcelona. I haven’t talked to the team about it, which already says quite a bit,” said the Australian McLaren driver on Thursday in Sakhir.
So now it’s just a matter of waiting for the Catalan round to see who will be hit hardest by this new technical directive.
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