FIA Reveals New Technical Rule Change for Belgian GP

The topic of flexible wings has been controversial since May's Emilia Romagna GP at Imola, with some teams suspected of having front wings that bend frequently giving them an advantage.

According to the Polish publication Parc Ferme, Red Bull was the team that initially drew attention to the front wings of McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes. The reigning constructors' champions found certain irregularities in their rivals' designs although they were declared legal by the FIA.

For Spa Francorchamps, technical directive TD034G will be introduced to assess the behavior of wings on selected cars, although the identity of which teams will have their machines chosen for testing, but this hasn't been revealed at the time of writing. The tests, which include implementing extra wireless recording cameras to film the wings moving during a lap, will take place in the opening two practice sessions so to not impact the team's weekend programs.

The FIA will use the cameras to analyze whether the wings comply with the regulations. Target dots inside the endplates will be used to check for movement in the front wing and front wing endplate.

Some teams won't be selected for testing due to the number of cameras available for recording.

Upgrades - Red Bull go for a relook

Photo: @stakef1team_ks

While the FIA have revealed their plans to tackle flexible wings, the teams have used the week's break between the British and Hungarian GPs to upgrade their cars.

Current championship leaders Red Bull have brought a dramatically different car to the Hungaroring, introducing a new front wing to prevent flow stability and a revised engine cover for better cooling efficiency in high ambient temperatures.

The new package will be exclusively used at slower circuits like the Hungaroring, Zandvoort, and Singapore before Red Bull returns to the old spec for faster tracks, such as Spa Francorchamps and Monza.

Aston Martin, who currently ranks fifth in the constructors' championship, has brought seven upgrades to Budapest, including a new diffuser and beam wing. The team's floor has also been heavily revised to improve the flowfield and increase the local load, potentially improving performance.

The upgrades haven't instantly improved the team's fortunes, with Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso finishing Friday afternoon's FP2 session 10th and 17th, respectively.

Sauber, the only team not to score so far in 2024, has introduced the most upgrades, bringing nine to Hungary. The changes to the team's C44 include a new sidepod inlet, an updated floor, a re-designed engine cover, and an updated rear suspension, which they believe will help improve on-track performance.

In addition, the team has introduced a new halo, mirrors, and headrest to improve the car's aerodynamic flow.

McLaren is the only team that hasn't brought upgrades for the Hungarian GP.