2026 Front Wing Adjustment loop hole?! Overshoot Movement and 800ms

[PlatinumZealot]

I think Mercedes has taken advantage of this loophole and it allows them twice the duration to move their front wing flap when moving from straight mode to corner mode. Yes. They have not 400ms to move the flap but 800ms!!

The rules define two positions of the flap in corner mode and straight mode and they define end stops for straight mode, they do not define end stops for corner mode, and they do not define how many times you can pass between the modes, only that you must do it in the track zones marked for straight mode.

Additonally the rules only state that the full range of the wing rotation must lie within limits of "FW profile." so basically you can rotate the front wing flap in a range bigger than your two fixed points - only with the straight mode end stop limit it - as long as you are within the FW profiles limits.

The straight mode FINAL position must be at a lower incident angle, it did not say what happens in between.

You can't pass a maximum angle on the slope of the tangent of the flap undersides.

Note only the fixed postions are defined but there is no physical stop required for corner mode, only straight mode.

So you can essentially move from straight mode transition past corner mode fixed position and you have to do this in 400ms.. Then you are for one moment in corner mode. You get another 400ms to move from corner mode to a steeper position and back to corner mode again.

The rules doesn't not say you cannot move from corner moder to corner mode.

have a maximum transition time between the two fixed positions that does not exceed 400ms

Basically you can "flap" the wing like bird does as long as you are in the defined straight mode zone of the track.

[johnnycesup]

If what you are saying was correct, then the wing would have to be flopping about between 2 positions every 800ms (it's not doing that) and, crucially, exit straight mode in a position with an angle of attack between the highest and the lowest, which is not the case.

When I look at the behaviour of the Mercedes wing, I see 2 positions, one with low angle of attack (used in 90% of the straight) and one with high angle of attack (used once the wing stopped it's actuation). The problem is that the actuation takes longer than 400ms.

There's no loophole at all to me.

[Waz]

Could you maybe post more of the regulations that you believe the loophole is in?

I think I understand where you are coming from with the idea. It's in the same kind of grey area as the Ferrari "macarena" wing.

Very interesting. Teams are already offsetting the wings, but this must add a new element to the balance under braking.

I wonder how quickly someone like Ferrari can copy it? They surely explored something similar already.

[PlatinumZealot]

The regulations to read are

Article C3.10.01 and Article C3.10.10

Then you can focus on C3.10.10 part "n" and "o" and read the references going back.

I am thinking Mercedes is deliberatley doing this extended time and irregular because the article text in part n that says of the ECU adjustment of the flaps, "when commanded, switch to one of two fixed positions defined as follows:"

But it doesnt say what the starting point is.

Then the time frame..

o. have a maximum transition time between the two fixed positions that does not exceed 400ms

I could put my starting point somewhere before the first fixed point perhaps.. As long as I am in the max allowed wing profile boundaries..


This is just my deduction of how Mercedes can legally actuate the flap longer than the regulated 400ms. Would they have taken the huge disqualification risk for this when their car is already so good?! I think not.

[SiLo]

My understanding was that Mercedes were having issues with the wing closing properly, and people have jumped on the footage of that, where the wing appears to lift at the end of the straight, but not all the way, then lift a second time into it's normal position.

[johnnycesup]

I could put my starting point somewhere before the first fixed point perhaps.. As long as I am in the max allowed wing profile boundaries..

But how did the wing get to that "third" point, if you are only allowed to "swtich to one of two fixed positions"?

[AR3-GP]

I think I understand where you are coming from with the idea. It's in the same kind of grey area as the Ferrari "macarena" wing.

The macarena wing is not a gray area. Rear wing is permitted to leave the regulations box while it transitions between corner and straight mode. It's listed as an exception in the regulations:

C3.11.6 g.
Any adjustment of RW Flap must maintain:
ii. compliance with all bodywork regulations except for Article C3.11.1.

C3.11.1:

C3.11.1 “Rear Wing Profiles” Bodywork must:
a. lie in its entirety within RV-RW-PROFILES.

Therefore, during adjustment, it does not have to remain inside the rear wing box.

[PlatinumZealot]

Other websites seem to be reporting on it now. No one has drawn a diagram yet though!

Should I?

[matteosc]

I'm sorry, but this makes no sense. It seems to be based on the idea that you can move the profile as you wish and that a fix position is not a fix position.