Verstappen calls on FIA to check F1 front wings after flexi-rear wing saga

Max Verstappen says the FIA should check Formula 1 teams’ front wings after clamping down on moveable rear wings following the ‘flexi-wing’ saga.

Connor McDonagh

24 Jun 2021

Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing in the FIA Press Conference.
© FIA Pool Image for Editorial Use

The FIA introduced stricter flexi-wing tests at last weekend’s French Grand Prix following complaints from Mercedes that Red Bull’s rear wing was flexing, spotted by Lewis Hamilton during the Spanish Grand Prix.

In response, Red Bull boss Christian Horner has called on officials to monitor Mercedes’ front wing after footage showed it flexing under braking.

Speaking after the team’s fourth win of the season at the Circuit Paul Ricard, Horner said: “Well I think that again, it's been quite a lot of footage over the weekend so the FIA we trust to police these things.

“And of course, you can't treat the rear wing in isolation, you have to look at both front and rear wings and what applies to the rear one would assume will apply to the front as well.”

Ahead of this weekend’s Styrian Grand Prix, Verstappen echoed the thoughts of his team boss.

“I guess Paul Ricard showed that everything has been dealt with correctly but I do think that when you are checking the rear wing you should also be checking the front wing because the front wing has a bigger effect on the car,” Verstappen explained. “It’s up to the FIA to do these checks because clearly, they have done the checks on the rear wing. It’s up to them.”

The Dutchman has won at Red Bull’s home venue on two previous occasions in 2018 and 2019.

Despite his recent success in Austria, Verstappen says the past is no guarantee of future success.

“It was a very important win [in France] as it was on a track where before we were not very competitive so to turn it around like that with a very competitive car was very rewarding and of course, a big boost for the team,” Verstappen added.

“Every single weekend is different again. We had a lot of good races here in the past but it’s not a guarantee that it’s going to happen again. We have to make sure that we find a good balance in the car again.

“Also, check the weather conditions again for the weekend. We are very motivated to try and have a good race here, again.”