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The W15 debuted a novel approach to the design of its top flap, one that is entirely legal, though perhaps not in the spirit of the regulations – not that there is such a thing in Formula 1.
Designers in Brackley have developed an extremely narrow top flap that extends from the nose of the car partway out to where a more traditional element sits.
It’s understood the intent is to change the airflow through that section of the car, and create an outwash around the front suspension and front wheel.
The solution has been on the car since it broke cover at a filming day at Silverstone last week and incorporates three metal stays before attaching to the expanded, adjustable element of the wing.
Essentially, the team doesn’t want to have an element there at all but must to satisfy the technical regulations, and so has done the bare minimum to ensure that.
Article 3.9.1.e of the FIA Sporting Regulations mandates that “With the exception of the rearmost closed section, the rearmost point of every closed section must not be visible when viewed from above.”
The top element, therefore, must cover, when viewed from the top, the rear of the element below it. The carbon strip on the top element’s inboard section does that.
Speedcafe understood no team has raised concerns, nor is the FIA especially worried about it. However, that didn’t stop the question being put to Toto Wolff.
“What is being put on the car is always following an exchange with the FIA all through the process,” the Mercedes boss affirmed.
“There is no such thing of having a clever idea and bolting it on without checking.
“There is a long process of dialogue over the winter, so I feel we are in an okay place.”
The broader question is whether the wing will remain legal amid chatter that it is prejudicial to the sport.
“Article 3 [of the regulations] dictates how the aerodynamic shapes are produced and it’s very clear in the opening statements, the rules aim to ensure we get this close following [between cars],” said Pat Symmonds, F1’s technical director, according to The Race.
“So really when you start to get things that are perhaps producing some outwash – and what we’re seeing here is really trying to reinstate quite a strong vortex to push that very turbulent air that’s coming from the front wheel, to try and push it aside. – one question is ‘is that really within the spirit of the rules?’
“It’s within the regulations, the letter of the law, no doubt about it. But is that the sort of thing we want?
“I don’t know, that’s perhaps a bit more debatable. I think we need to know really how strong is the effect.
“The FIA now have a very good aerodynamic group. The group that used to work for me are capable of looking at this and saying ‘yeah, actually there’s nothing wrong with that’ or ‘this is starting a trend we don’t really want to see’. We’ll see.”
Outlawing the wing is not the work of a moment. There is recent precedent too, with Aston Martin developing its ‘armchair’ rear wing in 2022.
The squad was allowed to continue racing the design throughout that season before the problematic aspects of it were regulated out for last season.
