The FIA has made alterations to the 2025 Formula 1 regulations that effectively outlaw McLaren‘s controversial ‘mini-DRS’ rear wing.
Oscar Piastri’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory courted controversy when his rear wing was observed to be flexing beyond sporting fairness.
The flexing of the McLaren rear wing opened up the slot gap in a manner that acted like a ‘mini-DRS,’ reducing drag and giving Piastri the straight-line speed advantage to hold off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at the Baku City Circuit.
McLaren firmed up its rear wings after complaints from rival teams and an agreement with the FIA, but the 2025 rulebook will prevent the need for any further technical squabbles in this area.
The minimum slot gap has reduced from 10-15mm to 9.4-13mm when DRS is closed.
Moreover, F1’s governing body has firmed up its rules on DRS, clearly stating that there must be two strict modes – open or closed – and when DRS is closed the rear wing profile must be exactly the same as before it was activated.
In addition, the FIA clarified the ‘Heat Hazard’ regulations whereby if temperatures exceed 30.5C, drivers must be given a cooling device in the cockpit of the car – with the minimum weight limit rising by 5kg to accommodate this.
2026 F1 regulations updated
The FIA has also made revisions to the 2026 aerodynamic regulations concerning active aerodynamics and other aero parameters.
The movable aero on the front wings will utilise two rotating flaps on the front wing to switch between low and high drag modes, with stops in place to prevent flaps from over-rotating.
Updated renders of the 2026 F1 car concept also show winglets will be permitted on the front wing endplates.
The rear wings will now be allowed two or three elements with the active aero rules around them altered to match this.
Now, it is just the bottom main plane of the rear wing that must remain fixed, with other elements allowed to rotate in accordance with the low and high drag mode switching.
In addition to this, alterations to the floor design, incorporating revised winglets and fences, have been made to improve downforce and aerodynamic performance.
This will ease concerns that the 2026 F1 car concept would be too slow compared to the current generation of Grand Prix machines.
Finally, deflectors and a ‘debris guard’ will be added to the 2026 F1 wheels.
READ MORE – FIA makes updates to F1 Sporting, Technical, Financial and new Operational regulations
