New FIA Wing Test to Affect Most Teams

Red Bull Racing and Ferrari will not be the only Formula One teams who will have to alter the rigidity of their front wings in the weeks to come, as a consequence of the FIA's revision of the flexibility load tests in the series. According to Italy's La Stampa, who cited anonymous sources, it seems that almost all the other squads will have to revise their front wings for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Until now, the FIA flexibility tests for the front wings consisted of applying 50kg weights on the wing's endplates, a force at which the wings would bend no more than 10 mm. However, amid suggestions that the front wing of the RB6 and, to a lesser extent, the Ferrari F10 have bended more than legally towards the track in the recent two races at Hockenheim and Hungaroring, the FIA proceeded to revise those tests.

Instead, the ruling body confirmed it will double the force applied to the wing's endplates – meaning a 100kg weight – with the bending allowed up to 20 mm. This new test will allegedly force the two teams in question to revise the flexibility of their wings.

According to a source from within the Ferrari organization, the F10 car will not suffer a great deal in terms of competitiveness as a result of the rule change. “We will adapt but it will not affect our competitiveness,” said the source, according to the aforementioned publication.

No information has been released yet on the exact date each team will face FIA scrutinizing regarding the front wings. Given that all the F1 factories will shut down for a two week period of time in August, the engineers will be left with little time to get the part legal and ready by the Spa-Francorchamps event.

Even so, we can't wait to see who will be the teams most affected by this chance and how (or, should we say if) it will mix things up on top of the classification during the upcoming few grands prix.