Esteban Ocon has already achieved a sobering result in qualifying for the Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2025 with 18th place. A few hours after the end of the time drive, the Haas pilot came even thicker.
Because of a violation of Article 3.15.17 of the technical regulations, it was subsequently disqualified.
Article 3.15 is called “Flexibility of aerodynamic components” in the technical regulations and regulates the so -called “Rear Wing Mainplane Tip Flexibility” on 3.15.17. This is exactly the paragraph that is commonly known as a “flexiwing rule” and precisely defined to what extent the tip of the rear wing can bend under load.
Article 3.15.17 was only introduced at the beginning of the season 2025 after the FIA was against teams that used the flexibility of the rear wing, which led to a “mini-drs effect”.
The permitted deflection of the main level of the rear wing was initially set to two millimeters and later reduced to 0.5 millimeters if it is exposed to a load of 750 Newton meters in a static test.
Detailed measurement by the FIA
From the Grand Prix of Spain in Barcelona in June, the FIA also went against “Flexiwings” on the front wings in order to contain aero elasticity even more. Ocon and the Haas team are now the first culprits to be transferred due to a violation of this still young Formula 1 rule.
Specifically, the FIA inspectors were able to demonstrate that Ocons rear wings gave in at two measuring points by 0.6 and 0.825 millimeters.
The team admitted the accuracy of the FIA measurement and attributed the deviation to a production error when assembling the wing. The exclusion from qualifying was essential.
After all, Ocon can still take part in the Grand Prix on Sunday, although he failed strictly due to the disqualification because of the 107 percent hurdle.
Ocon also complains about brake problem
But the racing commissioners gave him a starter permit. The Frenchman will probably tackle the race from the pit lane.
For him, qualifying was a fiasco before the rear wing. While teammate Oliver Bearman was able to qualify for Q2, Ocon already left Q1 – as 18th “we had a massive braking problem,” he explains. “I had almost every round wheels. Too bad, because there was a lot more speed in the car.”
Ocon says that in phases he used less brake pressure by 30 to 40 bar than Bearman, and yet the bikes stopped with him and not with the teammate. The consequence: no grip, understeer “and straight ahead into the leak zones,” he annoys. In this way, he explains the more than three tenths of a second in direct comparison with Bearman, who has now placed 8: 8 in the internal qualifying duel.