McLaren's Norris: FIA Rear Wing Clampdown Won't Affect Our Performance
Formula 1's governing body, the FIA, has announced a new rear wing flexibility clampdown taking effect at the Chinese Grand Prix, reducing the allowable gap between wing elements from 2.0mm to 0.5mm under a 75kg load test. This aims to prevent teams from exploiting a "mini-DRS" effect at high speeds.
McLaren F1 car racing on track
Lando Norris confirms McLaren won't need to make any changes, stating their rear wing design already complies with the new regulations. He suggests McLaren may have been too conservative in this area, noting they could have pushed the limits further within the rules.
While McLaren faced scrutiny over their rear wing design last season, Norris indicates the new directive appears to target other teams rather than McLaren.
Looking ahead to upcoming races, Norris expects Ferrari to pose a stronger challenge than in Australia, where McLaren held a significant 15-second lead before safety cars compressed the field. He expressed surprise at Ferrari's qualifying performance, where they finished 7-8 tenths behind, noting this gap doesn't reflect their true pace.
Norris acknowledges Ferrari's strong race pace during practice sessions, even suggesting they may have had better race simulation times than McLaren. He emphasizes the sport's unpredictable nature, where performance can shift dramatically between sessions and race weekends.
The McLaren driver remains cautiously optimistic about their competitive position while recognizing Red Bull's consistent speed and expecting Ferrari to close the gap in upcoming races.