P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Formula 1’s big flexi-wing change clearly hasn’t really hurt McLaren – but it may have helped Red Bull
McLaren F1 team principal Andrea Stella mentioned the small change in restrictions on front wing flexibility, evident in their front row lockout at the Spanish Grand Prix by Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
The new regulations were in effect from that weekend, impacting Red Bull’s performance with Max Verstappen qualifying third, over 0.3s behind Piastri’s pole position time.
Comparing Red Bull’s qualifying performance throughout the season, their competitiveness in Spain appeared to be on the lower end.
Verstappen faced challenges in Turn 1 with tyre temperatures, losing time in the first sector and throughout sector 2, partially recovering in the final sector.
The McLaren showed better balance and performance on track, possibly due to the less flexible wings, according to speculation among drivers and team principals.
