F1 News: Fred Vasseur "Trusts" FIA Over Singapore GP Rule Change

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has spoken out on the rule change coming to the Singapore Grand Prix.

Ferrari team chief Fred Vasseur has spoken out on the rule change coming to the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Italian Grand Prix saw Ferrari overtake Aston Martin in the constructors' championship to take the third position and with the Marina Bay Street Circuit anticipated to be favourable to the SF-23 cars, the team will be hoping to build the gap behind them as well as move closer to Mercedes in second. 

The FIA has rolled out a new technical directive, TD018, targeting potential aerodynamic loopholes. Rumblings in the F1 community suggested that some teams might be bending the flexibility rules of their car's front and rear wings for a competitive edge, which could offer improved downforce and reduced drag at high speeds.

Central to this issue is Article 3.2.2 of the Technical Regulations, which stipulates that components influencing aerodynamic performance should be “rigidly secured and immobile with respect to their frame of reference.” 

To gain a clear understanding of current car bodyworks and ensure compliance, teams have been required to provide the FIA with detailed assembly drawings and cross-sections, spotlighting how wing elements are attached to parts like the nose, rear-wing endplates, and pylons. 

Whilst speaking to the media about these changes, Vasseur backed the FIAs decision to bring the clarification in. He explained:

“By definition, a TD is a clarification of the regulation.

“It means that there was already a regulation in place.

“And we have to trust the FIA that if they consider that they have to do the TD it’s probably that the regulation was not clear enough and we trust the FIA in this direction to do that.”