Overview

• The FIA’s technical directive reduces symmetrical wing bend allowance from 15 mm to 10 mm while cutting unilateral deflection from 20 mm to 15 mm under a 100 N load
• Front-wing flap flexibility is also restricted, with maximum deflection down from 5 mm to 3 mm under a 60 N point load
• Teams were informed of the changes in January, and McLaren has already trialled its reinforced Barcelona-spec wing in Imola with negligible performance loss
• Ferrari and Mercedes anticipate potential gains after running more conservative wing setups, whereas Red Bull and Max Verstappen expect the impact to be manageable
• FIA single-seater chief Nikolas Tombazis said further stiffness tests could be introduced later in the season if any team continues to exploit wing flex