The latest tech dispute in Formula 1 shows what is at stake as the title fight rages on

In the run-up to the US Grand Prix in Austin, Formula 1’s latest technical drama occurred after a busy season for F1 poachers and FIA game wardens.

Firstly, there was the classic F1 saga of front wing curvature, where aeroelasticity was the key to the success of this – and arguably every – generation of car, a domain apparently dominated primarily by McLaren and Mercedes.

Because of the difference between static testing and the reality of carbon fiber bending under load, wing bending has always been a difficult area to monitor. But having already issued technical guidelines in the past to better inform teams about the application of the rules, the FIA ​​was happy with what the teams were doing and did not feel the need to follow the F1 designers’ favorite gray to impose stricter flex testing on the police area.

Next up in Baku, McLaren was once again the talk of the paddock with its innovative low-downforce rear wing, which created a mini-DRS effect that increased straight-line speed. The design once again passed the FIA’s existing tests, but this innovation was in the darkest of gray areas. After discussions with the FIA, McLaren agreed to optimize its design for the next race where the wing will be used – likely the Las Vegas GP.

The fact that the FIA ​​​​abandoned the front wing saga, but McLaren ended up changing the rear wing, shows how complex the matter is for those responsible at the governing body and how each of the ten teams is forced to act in more gradations grayer than a best-selling novel.

Now it is Red Bull Racing that has been criticized by rival teams for the way it installed its race height changing device to change the front race number.

What is the “front bib”?

All teams use such a system in some form, but teams suspect that Red Bull’s – legal – cockpit-based solution could be used overnight if the car is in parc ferme conditions, which is expressly forbidden.

Red Bull claims that the device is “inaccessible once the car is fully assembled and ready to drive”, and it is worth emphasizing that the team does not need to modify its car in Austin, but McLaren’s Oscar Piastri felt the parc ferme nature of the device The solution was: “Get out of the gray zone and into a black zone.”

It will be almost impossible to prove this to Red Bull always I used the device in parc ferme and even if the FIA ​​works on stricter procedures, it’s a saga that won’t have a satisfactory ending for those who don’t give Red Bull the benefit of the doubt.

And if you’re an opposing team, why would you do that?

You may remember that Red Bull was also mentioned when the FIA ​​tightened its rule banning asymmetrical braking, but it’s important not to lump everything together. The FIA ​​explained that the rule adjustment was aimed at making the regulations more robust for 2026, after which the new wording was retroactively incorporated into this year’s rulebook – still with no indication that any team had broken the rules.

Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, leads Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

Why all the gray areas and why now?

But it seems no coincidence that the 2024 season was marked by so much tech drama.

The regulations are now in their third of four seasons and it is becoming increasingly difficult for teams to improve their performance through traditional means. Any marginal gain can now make a significant difference in the bottom line, which encourages rethinking.

In addition, the closure of the grid has led to a tense battle between Red Bull and McLaren on the track, which also spilled out off the track, as Red Bull team boss Christian Horner and McLaren CEO Zak Brown occasionally fought each other over it was about these technical dramas or about top-class employees leaving Red Bull to take on new challenges.

“It’s all part of the sport,” Brown told Motorsport.com earlier this year. “You try to win every battle in Formula 1, on and off the track. They look over every single mirror and every single wing.”

“I will do everything I can to help McLaren win. And I expect the other nine teams to do the same. And that means we will disagree from time to time.”

Red Bull’s Helmut Marko added: “At one point some teams blame others, and then those behind them blame the others and say they don’t have it. “It’s a normal game as long as I’m in Formula 1.” It’s always been that way.”

That’s at least one thing that McLaren and Red Bull agree on.