McLaren Team Boss Shuts Down Rivals Over Rear Wing Saga - 'Good That Our Competitors Get Distracted'

Saajan Jogia | Sep 21, 2024

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; McLaren driver Oscar Piastri (81) during the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella gave a befitting reply to rival teams that repeatedly complained to the FIA over McLaren's semi-DRS rear wing. Stella claimed that the effect of their protest was "absolutely zero." Instead, he expressed satisfaction that McLaren's competitors were distracted by the issue, rather than concentrating on improving their performance.

The week following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw heavy controversy surrounding McLaren's rear wing, which started after fans pointed out on social media how the upper flap of the wing raised under high pressure on Oscar Piastri's MCL38, thereby creating a partial DRS effect without driver intervention. As a result, Piastri's car managed a higher top speed on the long straight at Baku.

As the Singapore Grand Prix weekend approached, rival teams such as Red Bull and Ferrari targeted McLaren's rear wing, which garnered significant attention. Questions were raised about its legality, given FIA's ban on flexi wings and its heightened scrutiny in recent weeks. Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko revealed that his team had protested to the governing body three times, prompting it to investigate the wing and take action. Red Bull's eager approach comes after McLaren surpassed it in the Constructors' Championship with a lead of 20 points last weekend.

While the component in question had passed all static tests, its flexing under high speed was an aspect that the FIA requested McLaren to change to comply with the regulations. McLaren in turn offered to make slight changes to the rear wing, whose effects will be visible at the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 in Singapore, Stella expressed confidence in his response to the rear wing question. As reported by Crash.net, he said:

“Well the effect is absolutely zero.

“I think we saw it today. For us it’s just good news that our competitors get distracted with this kind of things because it means they don’t focus on themselves and for us it’s just an advantage.

“We are completely comfortable that this is a little bit of a red herring that someone is speaking up. The wing is legal.

“There’s no topic really. I think it’s just a story but it looks like everyone looks for some stories. It’s good, it’s good for us.

“We keep focused on ourselves, feet on the ground, keep delivering upgrades and that’s what we do. We talk on the track.”

Lando Norris claimed another pole position during Singapore GP qualifying, as he was closely trailed by his championship rival Max Verstappen. The Dutchman, however, maintains a 59-point lead over Norris in the Drivers' Standings.