Aug.19 (GMM) The FIA has decided not to ban Formula 1’s controversial rotating rear wing concept after completing a detailed safety review.
Ferrari and Red Bull developed the device almost simultaneously earlier this season, with Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur jokingly christening it the ‘Macarena’.
The concept initially worked without major problems, but scrutiny intensified after Max Verstappen crashed twice in quick succession in Austria and Britain.
The FIA then demanded additional technical information from both teams and carried out a formal Failure Mode and Effects Analysis.
“When the first such design appeared, we wanted to ensure that it was absolutely safe,” FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis told Austrian newspaper Osterreich.
The governing body examined the mandated closing time of the wing and the car’s behaviour after activation.
“We held very intensive discussions to ensure that we consider these designs safe,” Tombazis continued. “Our main goal was to eliminate any risk of, for example, a hydraulic failure.”
Although the concept was ruled safe, Red Bull nevertheless carried out further work on its version after the crashes.
Tombazis stressed that those changes were not forced by the FIA, but were made by Red Bull for its own safety reasons.
The team temporarily used a different specification before Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar returned to the standard version in Hungary.
McLaren is also expected to introduce its own version after the summer break, meaning the unusual concept may now spread further across the grid.
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