Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has expressed frustration over the ongoing controversy surrounding flexi-wings used by rival teams in the 2024 Formula 1 season, pointing to their potential impact on the championship. Last summer, Ferrari, alongside Red Bull, sought clarification from the FIA on whether McLaren and Mercedes were using wings that flexed under load, potentially offering an aerodynamic advantage. In response, the FIA introduced monitoring cameras during the Belgian Grand Prix but ultimately declared the designs legal. However, the governing body did not implement new testing protocols for the 2025 season, which has left Vasseur dissatisfied.
Vasseur admitted that flexi-wings likely influenced the season’s outcome. He explained the challenges Ferrari faced in reacting to the situation, particularly because of the financial and time constraints imposed by the cost cap regulations. “It’s clear performance, and we wait two months for the decision if it’s legal or not,” Vasseur explained. He stressed the difficulty of making efficient use of the team’s budget, highlighting that if a development project is deemed illegal after months of work, it could burn a significant amount of money—€600,000 for a single failed project.
Vasseur further emphasized that the cost of development, including manpower and racing costs, means that even minor financial losses can have a disproportionate impact on a team’s general development budget. He argued that the impact of burning money on developments that don’t pan out is especially harsh in a competitive environment, where small gains make a big difference.
Vasseur also reflected on how crucial the tiniest performance advantages have become in a tight season, such as the one at Monza, where several teams were within a tenth of a second of each other. “If you have a flexible wing, it’s making a huge difference,” he said. He linked the flexi-wing debate to the increasingly competitive nature of F1 and the challenges of developing within tough regulations. In this close championship, every detail, including flexing wings, can prove decisive.
