JUNE 16, 2006

The end of flexi-wings?

Flexible wings have been the talk of the Formula 1 paddock this year with a solution apparently found in Malaysia and then a different route used by the teams involved. Now it seems the FIA is going to make sure that flexible (and indeed inflatable) rear wings cannot be used to gain an advantage with separators having to be added between the planes of the rear wings to stop them being closed (one way or another) at high speed. This will increase the drag for the cars and will get rid of what many felt was an unfair advantage. The reasons that all the teams did not use the wings are complicated but some could not make them work, some felt they were illegal and others did not wish to risk being caught cheating as the rules do state that aerodynamic devices cannot move. There are many other ways in which the aerodynamics of F1 cars can be improved using flexible wings (notably drooping bargeboards) and that is another problem which may come along in the fullness of time.