Lando Norris has responded to his Formula 1 competitors regarding the impact of the new regulations concerning flexible wings, asserting that the rule changes implemented specifically for the Spanish Grand Prix had “changed nothing,” following numerous prior complaints about McLaren`s car.
A significant topic of discussion leading into the Barcelona race weekend was whether the new, more rigorous tests for front wings would negatively affect McLaren.
McLaren was perceived to be among the teams that had taken advantage of flexi-wing designs. Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur had even suggested that this regulatory update could potentially act as a “gamechanger” for the competitive hierarchy in 2025.
However, despite the introduction of the new rules, McLaren put on a strong display in Spain. Lando Norris secured pole position, and the team achieved a commanding one-two finish in the race, with Oscar Piastri taking the win and Norris finishing second.
Addressing the earlier criticisms and the effect of the new directive, Norris stated, “There was a lot of complaints about our car, and they introduced this TD [Technical Directive] and changed nothing.” He praised his team, adding, “The team have done a very good job to just give us a good all-round car and the best car on the grid. So, we`re very proud to be able to go and drive those cars every weekend. It`s credit to the team that we have, to give day in and day out.`”
Ferrari was one of the teams thought to be in a position to benefit from the adjustments to the flexi-wing rules. Although Charles Leclerc achieved a podium spot (P3), McLaren maintained a considerable gap to the rest of the field, with Max Verstappen being the primary competitor, utilising an alternative strategy.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton also voiced his criticism of the updated regulations, which required most teams to design and build new front wings, suggesting F1 “should be giving that money to charity.”
Hamilton commented on the vehicle`s handling and the lack of competitive shift, saying, “The balance is definitely not as nice as what we had before. It hasn`t made any [difference to the leaders]… What a waste of money, it`s just wasted everyone’s money. It`s literally changed nothing. Everyone`s bent wings still bend… It`s just half the bending, and everyone`s had to make new wings, and spend more money to make these. It doesn’t make any sense.`”
Explaining the rationale behind implementing the change from the ninth round of the season, having determined that the front-wing tests needed reinforcement in the latter half of the previous season, the FIA`s single seater director Nikolas Tombazis mentioned that the delay was intended to avoid making it difficult for teams at the start of the season, which might have resulted in existing front wings becoming obsolete and incurring extra costs. Consequently, he felt a deferred introduction was a more sensible approach.
Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft speaking on Sky Sports News:
“I thought one of the key things about Sunday’s race was the lack of evidence that the new technical directive from the FIA has made any difference to McLaren whatsoever.
“McLaren kept saying ‘it’s going to make no difference to our competitive pace, Red Bull are looking in the wrong places’.
`It appears Red Bull actually might have been looking in the wrong places because all McLaren did to their wing was put a little £50 bracket on to it to stiffen it up, and Oscar Piastri still won, Lando Norris still finished second and they still increased their advantage at the top of the Constructors’ Championship.
`What’s happened on the track, with McLaren’s pace not being affected by this technical directive, will have more of an impact on Max Verstappen’s championship chances than his run-in with George Russell at Turn Five.`
Norris: McLaren Still Vulnerable in Qualifying
Following nine rounds, McLaren holds a substantial lead over their nearest competitor, Ferrari, in the Constructors` Championship.
Regarding the Drivers` Championship, Max Verstappen is now 49 points adrift of Oscar Piastri after his controversial collision with George Russell, which resulted in a 10-second time penalty and dropped him to 10th position in the race.
Piastri commented on McLaren`s performance relative to rivals: “`This weekend, we were probably a bit quicker than we expected compared to Red Bull. I think we thought they would be a really genuine threat this weekend. They were with us in the race, but more through strategy, I guess, than pure pace… But it seemed like we had a little bit of an edge over them. So, I don`t know. There will be other tracks where our competitors get closer. There`s probably going to be some where they`re further away. I hope there`s more where they`re further away than closer.`”
In qualifying, Verstappen was three tenths slower than pole-sitter Piastri, which represented McLaren`s largest advantage over their competitors in a single session.
Despite their strong showing, Norris believes that one-lap pace in qualifying remains an area where McLaren could be “vulnerable” to other teams.
He noted that the close margins in previous qualifying sessions are easily forgotten. “`I think people seem to quickly forget how close the other qualifying sessions have been,` he said. `They`ve been split by hundredths and thousandths, and there hasn`t been smooth sailing for us in every single one. So, I think that will be the case in future ones.`”
Norris concluded that while McLaren generally has the best car, particularly in race trim, the competition is closing in. “`But it`s clear we just have the best car on average, and we still seem stronger in the race. Although, it`s clear that the others are catching up. Our gaps in the race were probably a lot bigger in the beginning of the year than they are now… I do think that our competitors are catching up. But, we just need to keep our heads down and keep working hard.`”
