Spanish GP: F1 drivers have ultimate say on flexi-wing regulation change for the rest of 2025 season | F1 Information

Championship chief Oscar Piastri believes the brand new flexi-wing rules for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix are “overhyped” however Ferrari suppose there will likely be an impression.

Extra stringent assessments will happen on entrance wings from Spain onwards in a bid to cease flexing, an space which McLaren and different groups have appeared to take advantage of.

McLaren have gained six of the eight races up to now this season and lead the Constructors’ Championship by 172 factors from Mercedes, with Purple Bull 176 factors behind them.

“I believe the most important drawback goes to be how overhyped it’s, most likely,” mentioned Piastri, who’s three factors forward of McLaren team-mate Lando Norris within the Drivers’ Championship standings.

“We all know what’s totally different. I believe everybody must change, at the very least to an extent. I’ve not run the entrance wing however Lando has already run the entrance wing earlier than, this 12 months.

“We’re assured that is not our magic bullet… we do not have a magic bullet, however that is not our fundamental power.”

Max Verstappen is 25 factors behind Piastri within the title race and thinks Purple Bull want to enhance their very own automobile, fairly than hoping McLaren lose efficiency from the flexi-wings change.

“It would change the steadiness of the automobile a bit. I do not count on huge time good points or losses between the groups,” mentioned Verstappen.

“The wings by no means gave us an enormous efficiency acquire. I do not know if we acquired it improper or did not extract probably the most from it.

“Even for the opposite groups, I am positive it is manageable. When you have an excellent automobile, you will have an excellent automobile. Okay the entrance wing bends a bit much less however you may tune it round.”

Hamilton: Flexi-wing modifications will likely be attention-grabbing

Mercedes crew principal Toto Wolff prompt Ferrari have probably the most to achieve from the regulation modifications as their entrance wing has flexed the least out of the highest groups.

Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has beforehand known as the brand new assessments a “gamechanger” and will present a “reset”. Lewis Hamilton, although, has “zero clue” about which groups will lose out from the brand new assessments.

“The flexi-wing was a band-aid for high quality design I might say – getting the set-up and creating gadgets and mechanisms on the automobile mechanically, all of the engineers are in a position to do it,” he mentioned.

“It is nonetheless not that simple to get the load that you simply want on the entrance finish at a low pace, or simply rely solely on mechanical grip. To this point everybody has been managing, some folks higher than others.

“This weekend goes to be attention-grabbing as a result of we have much less flex on the entrance wing. You’ve gotten lots of entrance finish at high-speed corners and fewer at low pace.

“It is going to be attention-grabbing to see how that impacts totally different groups. Some groups most likely did a greater job than others, so I do not know the way it will have an effect on us.”

Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc added: “As a driver it should change the steadiness a bit. Earlier than, each crew was pushing in that course as a result of it had advantages for the driving force and the way it felt at excessive pace.

“Nevertheless, I do not understand how a lot it should change the pecking order. We all know how a lot it should have an effect on us, not rather a lot. We do not understand how a lot it should have an effect on the others.

“Whether or not it should change who’s the quickest crew, I do not suppose so. Will it change a bit bit, sure I believe so. What we lose with the flexi-wing, you may reproduce the same factor with different issues.”

Albon: Regulation change fits Williams however Barcelona observe doesn’t

Williams have been on the tail of the front-runners this season with Alex Albon ending fifth in Miami and Imola.

Ought to there be a pecking-order shift, Williams are shut sufficient to capitalise, if they don’t seem to be negatively impacted.

“The regulation change fits us however the observe would not,” mentioned Albon, who’s eighth within the Drivers’ Championship.

“You’ll doubtless see us fall a bit backwards on the whole this weekend however not due to the flexi-wings. On the similar time, I am fairly optimistic. We’ve not exploited the foundations the identical as the opposite groups, so it ought to profit us in the long run.”

Carlos Sainz mentioned: “I do not suppose it should have an effect on groups as a lot as folks suppose. It is nonetheless a entrance wing and it’ll nonetheless simply be run a bit stiffer and never flex as a lot because it did.

“I would not count on multiple tenth swing up and down the sector, relying on how a lot you had been flexing or not. I do not suppose there will likely be a lot in it.

“We now have lots of instruments these days mechanically and aerodynamically to tune the automobiles. Even when it is extra of a problem, we nonetheless have three observe periods to see the place the automobile is at and take steps to finetune it.

“As you may think about, the groups have been within the simulator and operating infinite laps with the brand new [front] wing. These days, groups are effectively ready to counter these form of modifications.”

Sky Sports activities F1’s Spanish GP schedule

Friday Could 30
8.50am: F3 Observe
10am: F2 Observe
12pm: Spanish GP Observe One (session begins at 12.30pm)
1.55pm: F3 Qualifying
2.50pm: F2 Qualifying
3.35pm: Spanish GP Observe Two (session begins at 4pm)
5.15pm: The F1 Present

Saturday Could 31
9am: F3 Dash
11.15am: Spanish GP Observe Three (session begins at 11.30am)
1.10pm: F2 Dash
2.10pm: Spanish GP Qualifying build-up*
3pm: SPANISH GP QUALIFYING*

Sunday June 1
7.25am: F3 Characteristic Race
8.55am: F2 Characteristic Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Spanish GP build-up*
2pm: The SPANISH GRAND PRIX*
4pm: Chequered Flag: Spanish GP response

*additionally dwell on Sky Sports activities Fundamental Occasion

F1’s European triple header concludes with the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona this weekend, with dwell protection ranging from Friday on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream Sky Sports activities with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime