2025 McLaren F1 Team

[Cs98]

Hello again. I am back regarding that Mini DRS wing controversy and I'm hearing that the FIA might have to make the rule changes that wanted to do in Spain from Melbourne if the cameras they put to wings give them reasons to do so which of course happened after Red Bull made their appeal. Mclaren and Ferrari are not worried though. Does anyone know more about what is happening as the championship hasn't even started and some teams (of drink quality) don't really like when others do a better job. What exactly is going on?

The change planned for Spain relates to the front wings, so it won’t be moved to Melbourne. But we do already have increased load tests for rear wings coming in Melbourne anyway

Red bulls issue is with the rear wings. We’ve not seen any evidence of this, but they are suggesting McLaren & Ferrari are both abusing the flexi regs again. There is evidence of Merc doing this, so it’s strange they haven’t accused them too

The FIA is installing rear facing camera at Melbourne to take a look at what is going on. This will be on all cars. If they see stuff they don’t like they may ask teams to make changes

It wouldn’t surprise me if McLaren used last years rear wing in testing just to wind-up Red Bull to keep the distracted.

We have seen evidence.

Waché's comments were specifically regarding this "mini-DRS" trick. Merc's wing flexes (as do all teams) but it's the entire RW assembly, not mini-DRS.

[Venturiation]

Hello again. I am back regarding that Mini DRS wing controversy and I'm hearing that the FIA might have to make the rule changes that wanted to do in Spain from Melbourne if the cameras they put to wings give them reasons to do so which of course happened after Red Bull made their appeal. Mclaren and Ferrari are not worried though. Does anyone know more about what is happening as the championship hasn't even started and some teams (of drink quality) don't really like when others do a better job. What exactly is going on?

The change planned for Spain relates to the front wings, so it won’t be moved to Melbourne. But we do already have increased load tests for rear wings coming in Melbourne anyway

Red bulls issue is with the rear wings. We’ve not seen any evidence of this, but they are suggesting McLaren & Ferrari are both abusing the flexi regs again. There is evidence of Merc doing this, so it’s strange they haven’t accused them too

The FIA is installing rear facing camera at Melbourne to take a look at what is going on. This will be on all cars. If they see stuff they don’t like they may ask teams to make changes

It wouldn’t surprise me if McLaren used last years rear wing in testing just to wind-up Red Bull to keep the distracted.

We have seen evidence.
https://twitter.com/robertofunoat/statu ... 2973842811
Waché's comments were specifically regarding this "mini-DRS" trick. Merc's wing flexes (as do all teams) but it's the entire RW assembly, not mini-DRS.

there is no mini drs on the mclaren

[the EDGE]

Hello again. I am back regarding that Mini DRS wing controversy and I'm hearing that the FIA might have to make the rule changes that wanted to do in Spain from Melbourne if the cameras they put to wings give them reasons to do so which of course happened after Red Bull made their appeal. Mclaren and Ferrari are not worried though. Does anyone know more about what is happening as the championship hasn't even started and some teams (of drink quality) don't really like when others do a better job. What exactly is going on?

The change planned for Spain relates to the front wings, so it won’t be moved to Melbourne. But we do already have increased load tests for rear wings coming in Melbourne anyway

Red bulls issue is with the rear wings. We’ve not seen any evidence of this, but they are suggesting McLaren & Ferrari are both abusing the flexi regs again. There is evidence of Merc doing this, so it’s strange they haven’t accused them too

The FIA is installing rear facing camera at Melbourne to take a look at what is going on. This will be on all cars. If they see stuff they don’t like they may ask teams to make changes

It wouldn’t surprise me if McLaren used last years rear wing in testing just to wind-up Red Bull to keep the distracted.

We have seen evidence.
https://twitter.com/robertofunoat/statu ... 2973842811
Waché's comments were specifically regarding this "mini-DRS" trick. Merc's wing flexes (as do all teams) but it's the entire RW assembly, not mini-DRS.

Okay,well I hadn't seen that, so thankyou for sharing . But now I have, I cannot see any flex, maybe a little vibration, but that is true of every wing. what would that be worth in terms of laptime if true? not a lot i suspect, 1/1000 of a second?

[Cs98]

The change planned for Spain relates to the front wings, so it won’t be moved to Melbourne. But we do already have increased load tests for rear wings coming in Melbourne anyway

Red bulls issue is with the rear wings. We’ve not seen any evidence of this, but they are suggesting McLaren & Ferrari are both abusing the flexi regs again. There is evidence of Merc doing this, so it’s strange they haven’t accused them too

The FIA is installing rear facing camera at Melbourne to take a look at what is going on. This will be on all cars. If they see stuff they don’t like they may ask teams to make changes

It wouldn’t surprise me if McLaren used last years rear wing in testing just to wind-up Red Bull to keep the distracted.

We have seen evidence.
https://twitter.com/robertofunoat/statu ... 2973842811
Waché's comments were specifically regarding this "mini-DRS" trick. Merc's wing flexes (as do all teams) but it's the entire RW assembly, not mini-DRS.

there is no mini drs on the mclaren

Yet there it is, visibly flexing in the exact same place as was seen in Baku last season. And this is at 280 km/h, imagine what it looks like at 300+.

[Macklaren]

I don't think it's visible flexing at all? Def not like in Baku. And not like we see with the Merc front and rear wings

[Cs98]

The change planned for Spain relates to the front wings, so it won’t be moved to Melbourne. But we do already have increased load tests for rear wings coming in Melbourne anyway

Red bulls issue is with the rear wings. We’ve not seen any evidence of this, but they are suggesting McLaren & Ferrari are both abusing the flexi regs again. There is evidence of Merc doing this, so it’s strange they haven’t accused them too

The FIA is installing rear facing camera at Melbourne to take a look at what is going on. This will be on all cars. If they see stuff they don’t like they may ask teams to make changes

It wouldn’t surprise me if McLaren used last years rear wing in testing just to wind-up Red Bull to keep the distracted.

We have seen evidence.
https://twitter.com/robertofunoat/statu ... 2973842811
Waché's comments were specifically regarding this "mini-DRS" trick. Merc's wing flexes (as do all teams) but it's the entire RW assembly, not mini-DRS.

Okay,well I hadn't seen that, so thankyou for sharing . But now I have, I cannot see any flex, maybe a little vibration, but that is true of every wing. what would that be worth in terms of laptime if true? not a lot i suspect, 1/1000 of a second?

It's the upward flexion at the bottom edge of the DRS flap. This is the same type of flex that they got in trouble for at Baku. I can't determine if it's as much flex this year (we have to see it at higher speed, Baku was 320 kph, this is only 280), but there is definitely still flex there. Of all the wings I've seen from the test and last year only McLaren has this.

For reference from the test.

[Emag]

It's the upward flexion at the bottom edge of the DRS flap. This is the same type of flex that they got in trouble for at Baku. I can't determine if it's as much flex this year (we have to see it at higher speed, Baku was 320 kph, this is only 280), but there is definitely still flex there. Of all the wings I've seen from the test and last year only McLaren has this.

For reference from the test.
https://twitter.com/robertofunoat/statu ... 5536698836
https://twitter.com/robertofunoat/statu ... 8371882220

There is no movement of the drs flap at all, I don't even know what the video with the arrow is showing or implying. The gap where the arrow is pointing is there in every rear wing. You can take a frame screenshot at low speed, compare it with the frame at high speed and there is no flexing of the drs flap upwards at all.

[Venturiation]

We have seen evidence.
https://twitter.com/robertofunoat/statu ... 2973842811
Waché's comments were specifically regarding this "mini-DRS" trick. Merc's wing flexes (as do all teams) but it's the entire RW assembly, not mini-DRS.

there is no mini drs on the mclaren

Yet there it is, visibly flexing in the exact same place as was seen in Baku last season. And this is at 280 km/h, imagine what it looks like at 300+.

The wing isn't flexing, it's the same gap during all the clip

This is a flexi wing, it's jumping up when braking and going down on the straight

[CjC]

The clip is terrible really. It needs to be footage from the final corner, down the pit straight and into the heavy breaking zone into turn one.
A clip of the car on the short straight into a mid to high speed corner won’t suffice for the naked eye.

[mwillems]

We have seen evidence.
https://twitter.com/robertofunoat/statu ... 2973842811
Waché's comments were specifically regarding this "mini-DRS" trick. Merc's wing flexes (as do all teams) but it's the entire RW assembly, not mini-DRS.

there is no mini drs on the mclaren

Yet there it is, visibly flexing in the exact same place as was seen in Baku last season. And this is at 280 km/h, imagine what it looks like at 300+.

At Baku it was the DRS flap itself that opened at the sides due to the warping of the flap.

This bears no relation Baku. Any flex, which i can barely see, is normal flex. Certainly in that video. It's a million miles from Baku.

[mwillems]

We have seen evidence.
https://twitter.com/robertofunoat/statu ... 2973842811
Waché's comments were specifically regarding this "mini-DRS" trick. Merc's wing flexes (as do all teams) but it's the entire RW assembly, not mini-DRS.

Okay,well I hadn't seen that, so thankyou for sharing . But now I have, I cannot see any flex, maybe a little vibration, but that is true of every wing. what would that be worth in terms of laptime if true? not a lot i suspect, 1/1000 of a second?

It's the upward flexion at the bottom edge of the DRS flap. This is the same type of flex that they got in trouble for at Baku. I can't determine if it's as much flex this year (we have to see it at higher speed, Baku was 320 kph, this is only 280), but there is definitely still flex there. Of all the wings I've seen from the test and last year only McLaren has this.

For reference from the test.
https://twitter.com/robertofunoat/statu ... 5536698836
https://twitter.com/robertofunoat/statu ... 8371882220

They got noticed for the DRS flap opening, not for the rear wingtips aside the flap.

I think you are misremembering.

[Emag]

Just normal flexing of the rear wing assembly like the other teams. The gap appears to open up because on the first frame you're looking at the dark asphalt behind, whereas at the end of the straight, the white kerb behind provides some contrast and makes it more obvious to see where the gap is.

[Farnborough]

https://i.imgur.com/mij1s5G.gif

Just normal flexing of the rear wing assembly like the other teams. The gap appears to open up because on the first frame you're looking at the dark asphalt behind, whereas at the end of the straight, the white kerb behind provides some contrast and makes it more obvious to see where the gap is.

Actually, your comparison there does show what is really moving (between those two frames? ) in that the whole wing assembly is rotating back and down under load.

Look at the paint detail "after" the front lip of main plane, you can see more / less detail of the rise area towards the main rear component moving into and out of obscured view.

The "slot" detail that's been picked up to comment along, is changing (not in size) from and to more or less oblique alignment with camera axis. That makes it APPEAR to change size, but caused by the whole wing assembly rotating backwards and away from the camera site which remains static in reference to chassis whole.

[Emag]

https://i.imgur.com/mij1s5G.gif

Just normal flexing of the rear wing assembly like the other teams. The gap appears to open up because on the first frame you're looking at the dark asphalt behind, whereas at the end of the straight, the white kerb behind provides some contrast and makes it more obvious to see where the gap is.

Actually, your comparison there does show what is really moving (between those two frames? ) in that the whole wing assembly is rotating back and down under load.

Look at the paint detail "after" the front lip of main plane, you can see more / less detail of the rise area towards the main rear component moving into and out of obscured view.

The "slot" detail that's been picked up to comment along, is changing (not in size) from and to more or less oblique alignment with camera axis. That makes it APPEAR to change size, but caused by the whole wing assembly rotating backwards and away from the camera site which remains static in reference to chassis whole.

The rotation backward is what all other team's wings do as well. What was banned last year was the upward flex of the drs flap edge. RedBull can complain about the overall flex of the rear wing (where actually Mercedes has the most, not McLaren), but the claim that McLaren is still using the mini DRS trick is just pure hokum as there is no proof it exists on the MCL39.

You can see it here, how the the drs flap gets "disjointed" at the bottom edge :

[Cs98]

It's the upward flexion at the bottom edge of the DRS flap. This is the same type of flex that they got in trouble for at Baku. I can't determine if it's as much flex this year (we have to see it at higher speed, Baku was 320 kph, this is only 280), but there is definitely still flex there. Of all the wings I've seen from the test and last year only McLaren has this.

For reference from the test.
https://twitter.com/robertofunoat/statu ... 5536698836
https://twitter.com/robertofunoat/statu ... 8371882220

There is no movement of the drs flap at all, I don't even know what the video with the arrow is showing or implying. The gap where the arrow is pointing is there in every rear wing. You can take a frame screenshot at low speed, compare it with the frame at high speed and there is no flexing of the drs flap upwards at all.

We literally did this last year and people still don't know where to look Okay, I will show it more clearly.

Gap

No gap

I tried to match it so that the kerb is behind in both images. It's the same area as last year during the Baku controversy. The FIA took exception to this which is why I find it interesting that it is still a thing. I've only ever seen it on the McLaren. It may be exaggerated by the RW assembly flexing as well, but to my eye there is still movement in this area.