As the 2024 Formula One season draws to a close on reflection this has been the most entertaining campaign since the epic duel between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton back in 2021. Of course Max will go on to claim his fourth consecutive drivers’ title, but for much of the second half of the year it was never a foregone conclusion.

Had Lando Norris not had his car terminally damaged in Austria, that race alone saw a 32 point swing in Verstappen’s favour. This would reduce the current 62 point deficit the British driver has to Max, to just 30 with 86 more points on offer.

Add into the mix the 7 and 3 points McLaren threw away for not issuing team orders in Hungary and Monza and the final triple header of the year could well have seen another title decider in the desert of Abu Dhabi.

 

 

 

McLaren not ‘battle hardened’

Yet the mistakes from McLaren and their title hopeful Lando Norris have been too many. Norris has claimed 7 pole positions this year but led the race at the end of the first lap just once. Having completed a Sprint 1-2 at the recent USGP, Norris was on pole for the feature race on Sunday.

As the lights went out Lando had a slightly better start than Verstappen but failed to close off the inside line into turn one  and the world champion didn’t fail to take advantage. As it happened as Norris battled with Max, the Charles Leclerc in his scarlet Ferrari took full advantage and slipped through into the lead.

Yet McLaren and Lando Norris’ lack of battle hardness was not the only tale of the year. McLaren and Mercedes were accused of using flexible wings as the European season commenced which also coincided with a loss of form from Red Bull and Max Verstappen.

A flexible wing would mean a car has the required downforce for cornering, but sheds it at speed as the wind resistance grows along the straight. This is a clear advantage and is against the F1 design regulations however officials were concerned the static test used by the  scrutineers was not up to the job.

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Flexi wing investigated by FIA

The FIA appeared to drag its feet but finally issued a Technical Directive for the Belgian Grand Prix stating it would fit cameras to a number of the cars in the field. The cameras focused on dots placed at certain points along the wing to measure how much movement was taking place. At speed.

While F1’s governing body was deciding how to proceed, the likes of Ferrari and Red Bull paused their own versions of the flexi-wing fearing it would be ruled illegal. The expected ruling from the FIA didn’t come before the summer break which saw Ferrari opt against developing this area of their car inn case it was to be outlawed.

“There was frustration because at one stage we were waiting for the decision of the FIA when they installed the cameras [from Spa],” Vasseur now tells Motorsport.com. “We were convinced that it will go for the ‘no go’. And it went for the ‘go’! So probably we lost one or two months.”

This is evidence that the much debated F1 cost cap in fact is working as in days of yore when money was no object, Ferrari would have developed it anyway – just in case. There is no dispute about the fact the wings do flex, but the FIA’s day to day boss, Nikolas Tombazis, now reveals why no action was taken.

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Change of regulations too “knee jerk”

There is a longer term solution to the problem being pursued by the FIA and changing the regulations suddenly would have been “a bit knee jerk,” said Tombazis.

“Because the front wing gets loaded in different ways, we cannot predict it easily in the regulations. As no two wings have exactly the same loading pattern, it is very difficult to come with a proper test.

“So, as these rules have been around since 2022, we felt it was a bit knee jerk to suddenly say that for 2025 we were going to change it, or indeed change something for 2024, but we are using this information we’re gathering to perhaps lead us to something a bit more effective for 2026.”

The FIA has in effect admitted defeat in this latest technical argument given the wings in question pass the static defection tests introduced in 2022. Further, with the aero dynamics rules for 2026 yet to be finalised, it could be this provides F1’s regulators with the tools they need.

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Ferrari new wing delivers race wins

Once given the all clear, Ferrari lost no time in introducing its own flexi wing in Singapore. Fine tuning saw Ferrari take a 1-2 in the following USGP and a victory for Carlos Sainz the following week in Mexico.

The Ferrari team boss explains why the team were late with their version of the McLaren wing. “It’s difficult because with the cost cap you have to make your choices. It means that if you are convinced that it won’t be allowed, and you have start to develop something, then it’s costing you a time in the wind tunnel. But it was our decision.”

Of course Ferrari could have taken the gamble which McLaren and Mercedes had risked and having the wing 6-8 weeks earlier would no mean they are closer to taking the championship from McLaren who are leading.

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FIA kick the can down the road

Having given Mercedes and McLaren the all clear in September, the FIA issued a statement which said: “The front wing has been a challenging area throughout the years, because the aerodynamic loading patterns between different competitors varies and it is therefore difficult to find a load vector which will cover all types of front wing construction.

“Other areas of the car – including rear wing and floor edges – have much more consistent aerodynamic loading patterns across the grid, making for a more universal load-deflection test.”

In other words it’s just too difficult to monitor. One of the reason the F1 teams invest so much effort in flexi wings is because as they stand the regulations do not allow for ‘controlled’ moveable components to increase or decrease downforce (except for DRS).

Yet come 2026 all this is set to change which may be the reason the FIA has kicked the can down the road. Once a moveable front wing is allowed, the teams won’t bother to invest huge amounts of resources in the pursuit of this ‘involuntary’ movement or ‘passive downforce control.’

Damon Hill exits Sky F1

 

 

 

Albon admits F1 ladder “a dark art”

Whilst not having the most stellar of junior formula racing careers Alex Albon was through F3 and F2 in just three years. The British-Thai racer came second in his single year of F3 with four race victories before moving up to F2 where he competed with ART and then DAMS where he came third in the championship.

Whilst third in F2 seems unworthy of a promotion to Formula One, the 2018 season saw the championship won by George Russell with Lando Norris second just seven points ahead of Albon.

Alex had been signed to the Red Bull young driver academy programme back in 2012 but was dropped at the end of the season. His performances against Russell and Norris during the 2018 title fight were impressive and once again Dr. Helmut Marko was knocking on the door… READ MORE