How much lap time McLaren were gaining from outlawed rear wing after Red Bull complaints

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McLaren will no longer be able to use their ‘mini DRS’ trick after the FIA instructed them to modify their low-downforce rear wing. This comes after a complaint from chief rivals Red Bull.

Prior to the Singapore GP, the FIA were satisfied with the legality of McLaren’s controversial wing. But it seems Red Bull were able to present new evidence to change their minds.

Footage from the rearward-facing camera on Oscar Piastri’s car in Azerbaijan showed a gap opening up between the main plane and the DRS flap at high speed. This made the MCL38 quicker in a straight line.

It should be noted that McLaren didn’t intend to use the wing at every race. It wasn’t expected to appear on the car again until Las Vegas, the third-to-last round of the season.

What’s more, the FIA haven’t banned the rear wing as a whole, instead only one specific detail. But the impact could still be significant given the historically close nature of the fight at the front.

McLaren have been the best team in F1 this year but they’ve rarely had a clear cushion over their rivals. Red Bull started the year with a dominant car, while Ferrari and Mercedes have both excelled on the circuits that suit their machinery.

McLaren’s rear wing was worth up to two tenths of a second, according to Red Bull

Red Bull carried out their own research on McLaren’s wing and noticed a ‘suspiciously’ low DRS boost, according to Auto Motor und Sport. They were only gaining about 12 km/h from the system, whereas their rivals typically picked up around 20 km/h.

This may illustrate the impact of the ‘mini DRS’. They were experiencing a lower level of drag even before they manually opened their rear wing, so naturally, the advantage was smaller.

Red Bull have calculated that this was worth up to two-tenths of a second per lap. Over a full race distance in Baku, that would equate to 10.2 seconds.

After Piastri executed a magnificent move on Charles Leclerc to take the lead of the race, the Ferrari driver struggled to get close enough even with the aid of DRS. He followed the McLaren closely for the best part of 30 laps but was rarely in a position to attempt a move at the end of the two-kilometre blast to turn one.

Helmut Marko now calls for FIA to investigate another McLaren part

Like Baku, the Las Vegas circuit features an enormous straight in the final sector. It comes in at 1.9km and will be the main source of overtaking opportunities in the November race.

If McLaren win in Nevada, then the FIA’s ruling will be forgotten. But if they struggle, it’s inevitable that many will put it down to the enforced changes.

Red Bull are demanding further action. Helmut Marko wants the FIA to examine McLaren’s front wing, implying that it too is flexing out on track.

Marko has said that Red Bull will introduce major updates in Austin. By slowing down their rivals and making performance gains themselves, they could return to the top step of the podium after a seven-race drought.