Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari is facing an internal investigation (Image: Getty)
are reportedly one of two teams – the other being – expecting factory visits from delegates – after prepared an ‘official and accusatory file’ about the teams’ rear wings. The FIA clamped down on rear-wing flexibility last season after onboard footage from Oscar Piastri’s MCL38 machine at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix showed the component flexing under load on the straights.
This was dubbed the ‘mini-DRS’ effect and was a common technical talking point for the teams. This was outlawed from the Singapore Grand Prix onwards last year, but technical director Pierre Wache was left furious after pre-season testing. “It’s still happening,” he told The Race. “I believe and are persisting with the mini-DRS tactics.”
Now, the FIA will take action after filed an ‘official and accusatory file’ against two of their biggest title rivals. According to a report from Italian publication , delegates of the sport’s governing body will visit the factories in Woking and Maranello before the start of the season next weekend.
This will mean nervous waits for and . The two Brits are targeting the Drivers’ Championship title this season after successful pre-season tests, although they face competition from and .
Don’t miss…
Red Bull have also complained about the McLaren rear wing (Image: Getty)
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
According to advisor Helmut Marko, it is Norris and who have the best chance of securing the World Championships this season. The reigning champions are widely viewed as the favourites after a strong showing in Bahrain.
“In my opinion, it will be a three-way or four-way battle between , , and us,” he told German news outlet Sport.de. “Although, if you look at the test results, already has a head start. That was the case in both the short and long runs. The current favourite is clearly .”
Asked to discuss the size of the gap between and , he continued: “It’s hard to say exactly what that looks like, because the weather conditions were completely out of the norm. It was cold, there was strong wind. It was even raining.
“It was only the case on Wednesday, when we were on a par with . But on Friday, the last day, I would say that we were still two to three tenths behind in the long run. What’s more, ’s tyre wear was also significantly better than our data indicated.”