Red Bull Technical Director Pierre Wache was left less than impressed by the flexi-rear wing sported by McLaren during the 2024 Formula 1 campaign.
McLaren came under fire for its flexible rear wing used earlier in the season at circuits with a low-drag configuration.
The saga came to a head with Oscar Piastri’s victory in Baku, where the uppermost plane of the McLaren MCL38 rear wing was seen to be flexing to an extent that it was starting to act like DRS, giving the Australian a distinct straight-line speed advantage.
An agreement with the FIA saw McLaren removing the rear wing design from its wheelhouse, but Wache isn’t happy that it was allowed to race with it in the first instance.
“I think it’s so difficult to develop that I think some grey areas are so attractive as an engineer,” the Frenchman told Racing News 365.
“When you see the rear wing of McLaren, I’m sorry, but it’s more than grey, and they use it for multiple races.
“Because, without that, Baku, they will not win. Even our constructors’ championship will be completely different.”
‘You have to respect the rules,’ says Pierre Wache
McLaren currently holds a 21-point lead over Ferrari in the F1 Constructors’ standings ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Red Bull is mathematically out of contention in third, trailing the league leaders by 69 points and surrendered plenty of those at Monza and Baku, two circuits where McLaren employed its flexi-rear wing and Wache is adamant that F1 rules need to be respected and policed accordingly.
“Just as an engineer, you also have to respect the rules,” Wache said.
“In terms of technical regulations, the difference compared to sporting [regulations] is you have to prove that you are legal.”
However, Wache admits that policing things such as McLaren’s flexible rear wing, which can only be observed at very high speeds, is difficult.
“When you have a radar camera between two points, the police can see you only at these two points and you can go at very high speed between, if you don’t have average speed [checks],” he said.
“The technical regulations are different – you have to prove that you are correct.”
Wache begrudgingly agrees that technical skullduggery is “part of the game” in F1, adding “you also have some limits. If the police doesn’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s legal. W
“What happened to Ferrari in the past and everything, that more than the limit. It’s frustrating for us, when the police doesn’t do their job.
“What you want is a playing field the same for everybody, and we [Red Bull] play with this playing field.
“A good idea is a good idea, but when it’s over the playing field, it’s not correct.”
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