Red Bull chief finds ‘very interesting’ upgrade on ‘surprising’ rival car at F1 testing

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Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache finds Mercedes’ car for the 2024 Formula 1 season ‘surprising’ as they have a ‘very interesting’ front wing for pre-season testing.

The Silver Arrows have stunned Wache after unveiling a tiny upper flap to connect the front wing to the nosecone of the W15. F1’s rules stipulate that front wing elements have to sit 5-15mm apart when they come together. But Mercedes appear to have found a loophole to it.

Mercedes have sought to incorporate a minuscule flap to the upper element to improve the airflow over the car. But the Brackley team removing a large part of the element has sparked suggestions that it falls outside of F1’s rules aimed at improving the chances of closer racing.

Mercedes ‘surprised’ Wache with the W15’s tiny front wing flap

Having a smaller area on the upper element would allow Mercedes to reduce the drag of the W15. To do this, the team have incorporated a tiny strip to obscure the rear-most edge of the second flap as F1’s rules note that only the upper-most flap can be totally visible from above.

Team principal Toto Wolff is convinced their front wing is legal as Mercedes spoke to the FIA throughout its design. Formula 1 teams generally run any new ideas by the series’ governing body to ensure they meet the regulations and seek further guidance on how to satisfy them.

Wolff told Sky Sports F1 at pre-season testing: “It’s no such thing that you have a clever idea and then you bolt it on to test and you think that could be or couldn’t be challenged. That is a long process of dialogue that happens over the winter. So, I feel we’re in an ok place.”

Red Bull chief Wache finds the Silver Arrows’ concept ‘interesting’

Discussions with the FIA’s technical team do not unconditionally mean that upgrades that go close to the limits of F1’s rules are legal. So, Mercedes may yet face an investigation over the front wing if a rival team decides to challenge its legality at the season-opening, Bahrain GP.

And Red Bull chief Wache finds the front wing on Mercedes’ new car for the 2024 Formula 1 season ‘very interesting’. The Frenchman admits the Silver Arrows caught him by surprise at pre-season testing with the concept. Wache also thinks Aston Martin have a ‘quite good’ car.

He told GP Blog: “Mercedes is surprising for me. Their concept is surprising – it’s interesting. Aston, also, is quite good. I didn’t have time to see the rest in more detail. They didn’t reveal as much during their presentation but I’m sure we’ll find some interesting stuff.”