Grand Prix of China
Formula 1 announces change for next races
17.03.2025 – 4:21 p.m.Reading time: 1 min.
The Grand Prix of China will take place in Shanghai next Sunday. However, racing drivers must then prepare for new circumstances.
In Formula 1, the cars will be checked even more intensively from the upcoming race in Shanghai. The World Association (FIA) announced on Monday that stricter tests for the rear wings will be introduced at the China Grand Prix.
The background is the Article 3.15.17 newly introduced for the new season in the technical regulations. This says that the distance from one of the two ends of the main wing to the so -called flap (also called “slot gap”) has so far been allowed to vary by a maximum of two millimeters with a vertical load of 75 kilograms. This limit is now reduced to 0.5 millimeters in Shanghai. Since the new requirements are introduced at short notice, the FIA initially grants a tolerance of 0.25 millimeters.
After FIA analyzes at the start of the season in Australia, where Lando Norris had won in front of defending champion Max Verstappen, there were “there were enough reasons for the introduction of a stricter examination of the upper rear wing”. At the same time, the association emphasized that all cars in Melbourne had met the previous tests in accordance with Article 3.15.17 and were therefore considered to be compliant.
Already in the second half of the season last year there was criticism of the McLaren rear wing. The competition suspected that parts of the upper wing element could move up at certain speeds, which would reduce the air resistance and give the team an unauthorized advantage. Although McLaren passed all the stress tests, the team still decided to adapt the rear wing.