On Friday, Aston Martin tested in Free Practice with a rear wing that is particularly different from the designs of other cars. While the rear wing adheres strictly to the technical regulations, there are still grey areas regarding its compliance with the FIA’s technical philosophy of reducing aerodynamic drag. The goal is to avoid disrupting the airflow for following cars.
Mike Krack stated in a press conference on Saturday that the development of this new fin had been transparent with the FIA, and therefore they were within the legal right to use it.
When we design, I mean when we develop an idea or a wing, we generally don’t wait until the last minute to show it. We were in contact with the FIA during the development of this part to understand if it would meet their criteria, confirms the Aston Martin team director.
When they accepted, we said okay, let’s go. Now, there is nothing extraordinary. It is an interpretation of the regulation and it is something that was done jointly with the FIA.
The competitors generally have two approaches to this innovation. They either integrate it into their development to see if it also works for their car or demand a ban. If the rule were to be changed in the future to prohibit this wing design, Aston Martin would comply.
« If the rules change, then we will accept it.
» he explains in a conference alongside Christian Horner (Red Bull) and Andreas Seidle (McLaren).
Christian Horner reacted to this new wing by stating that it opens up new prospects for interpreting the regulations and that it is interesting. Horner also joked that for once, they might be copying an Aston Martin and not the other way around. So you never know!
Andreas Seidl, McLaren’s director, also trusts the FIA to ensure compliance with this rear wing and does not intend to file a complaint. We are focused on this race weekend, and we will likely examine it more closely next week and form our opinion. We will then be able to judge whether it is a path we want to pursue or not, but with the current regulations, we trust the FIA to make the right decisions. So, for now, there is nothing to say.
Find our comparison of the rear wing of the Aston Martin here.
