End of October, Mercedes arrived in Austin, for the United States Grand Prix, with a new front wing fitted with dividers that have attracted the attention of its rivals. It was suspected that their shape and location offered major performance gains by more effectively managing airflow path, rather than simply reinforcing the wing elements. In its defence, Mercedes argued that the regulations only required that the presence of the separators be “principally” due to mechanical, structural or measurement reasons, thereby making any secondary aerodynamic advantage acceptable.
Since the star brand did not have a sufficient number of spare parts, this front wing was not used in racing in the United States. His debut should have been the following weekendin Mexico City, however, following pressure from competing teams, the FIA recognized that this design offered a major aerodynamic advantage, leading to the removal of the splitters.
And in order to prevent teams from re-using the concept during the winter break to otherwise circumvent the requirement of the regulations, the FIA has changed its technical rules for 2023. The new version, approved this week by the World Council of Sport Automobile, now provides that flap dividers must provide a structural connection between consecutive profiles. In addition, their size and proximity have also been changed. Finally, the sentence explaining that their primary purpose was not aerodynamic was removed.
For Mercedes, this is the second aerodynamic solution banned by the FIA at the end of the 2022 season. Previously, the governing body decided to ban the aggressive end plate design unveiled at the Grand Prix of Miami. Aston Martin had also been targeted by FIA measures since the rear wing seen at the Hungarian Grand Prix, which circumvented the spirit of the regulations concerning the shape of the end plates, will no longer be authorized next year.