Mercedes adjust controversial new front wing for F1 Mexico City Grand Prix
The new front wing caused a stir in the F1 paddock when it was revealed publicly at last weeke𓄧nd’s United States Grand Prix despite Mercedes never actually running it.
Mercedes’ experimental new wing featured five enlarg🦹ed slot gap separators w💜hich caught the attention of at least one rival team, who queried the design with the FIA.
This led to speculation of an “exchange” between Mercedes and F1’🦋s governing body about 🔜whether it complied to the regulationꦗs or not.
Mercedes chose not to run the wing all weekend in Austin, explaining it was always the plan not to do so as the team didn’t have enough parts to give෴ to both drivers.&nb𝔍sp;
“The reason we didn’t run it in Austin was that we only had one ꦇof those parts,” trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said in Mercedes’ pos♒t-race debrief video.
“So, if we damaged it during qualifying it would🐻 have meant the car that damaged the wing had to start from the bac🐼k.
“Also with a very busy programme, we had 🔯the tyre tes✃t in FP2, we didn’t actually have time to evaluate.
“We have more of those parts ava𒐪ilable in Mexico, we will run that on the Friday, we’ll check it’s all working as expected, and the plan at this stage is to race that wing.”
A revised version of the new front wing - with the controversiaဣl flap separators removed - was revealed in the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez paddock on Thursday.
Mercedesꦜ has removed the controversial flap separators (turning vanes) to not get in trouble with FIA🤡. Expect them to run the new wing in FP1.
— Tobi Grüner (@tgruener)
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for wuqian0821.com around the world. Often reporting on the actionꦛ from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
