Formula 1 Qatar GP
What is going on with Red Bull’s flappy F1 rear wing
While Red Bull Racing has voiced its concerns over Mercedes’ rear wing, it is encountering issues of its own that has drawn criticisms from its bitter Formula 1 title rivals.
Matt Somerfield Giorgio Piola
Edited: Dec 2, 2021, 6:17 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Not for the first time this season, Red Bull’s mechanics could once again be seen fixing a problem with the DRS actuator and mechanism during Free Practice 2 in Qatar on Friday evening.
The failure is easily identifiable when the car is out on track, as the rear wing’s top flap begins oscillating at high speed when the DRS is active. In Qatar FP2 it was Sergio Perez's car that was affected and he lost track time in the pits while repairs were made.
Not only has this led to damage to the actuator and mechanism but over the course of the last few races it has required the team to fix and patch up the rear wing on several occasions, as cracks have appeared in various locations on the wing due to the stress induced.
This may just be down to the parts coming towards the end of their lifecycle, something that’s become more of an issue for the teams this year due to the expanded calendar and working against the backdrop of a cost cap. However, it may also be down to the team pushing the envelope with its wing setup to find extra performance from the DRS, all while having to work within the bounds of this year's homologation system.
The DRS – or rear wing adjuster as it’s referred to in the technical regulations – was one of the parts frozen going into 2021, with only two options allowed to be homologated to account for different downforce levels.
Red Bull Racing RB16B DRS comparison
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
In order to redesign these for 2021, a team would be required to spend a development token, which Red Bull didn’t do, as we know it spent the two at its disposal on a new gearbox carrier.
In this case it’s entirely likely that we will continue to see this problem persist for the remainder of the season, as the team essentially has to work with what it has, while looking for those small nuggets of performance.
But speaking to Sky Sports F1’s Martin Brundle ahead of the race at Interlagos last weekend, Mercedes’ Toto Wolff called out Red Bull for making these repeated wing fixes under parc ferme conditions in America, Mexico and Brazil.
But the FIA’s Michael Masi has since denied there was any favouritism or preferential treatment afforded to Red Bull on the matter.
“From our perspective, we treat every single request equally, consistently, look at every single one,” said Masi. “The thing is, if we see that something is let's call it systematic with the team over a number of events, then we ask them to make permanent modifications to that part.
“There's a whole lot of things that go into it. So no, I don't think there's any inconsistency at all.”
Read Also:
- Pictured: The Mercedes F1 rear wing marks behind Red Bull's suspicions
- Horner: Red Bull ready to protest Mercedes F1 rear wing
- Mercedes denies F1 rear wing has score marks
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article F1 Qatar Grand Prix qualifying – Start time, how to watch, channel
Next article F1 teams battling kerb strike fears at Qatar GP
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Matt Somerfield
Gallery: How F1 tech evolved during the 2024 season
Formula 1
Formula 1
Gallery: How F1 tech evolved during the 2024 season
How McLaren’s rear wing push changed the game in F1
Formula 1
Formula 1
How McLaren’s rear wing push changed the game in F1
How 2026 F1 rules will help avoid identikit designs
Formula 1
Formula 1
How 2026 F1 rules will help avoid identikit designs
More from
Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen slams “unacceptable” bumps at Austin F1 track: “It's out of control”
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
Max Verstappen slams “unacceptable” bumps at Austin F1 track: “It's out of control”
Red Bull called Christian Horner to thank him for F1 engine project after maiden win
Formula 1
Formula 1
United States GP
Red Bull called Christian Horner to thank him for F1 engine project after maiden win
Latest news
"We're just a step behind" - what McLaren is trying to solve with its final 2026 upgrades
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
48 min
"We're just a step behind" - what McLaren is trying to solve with its final 2026 upgrades
Sammy Smith earns first NASCAR Truck win in wild Talladega finish
NASCAR Truck
NSTR NASCAR Truck
Talladega
52 min
Sammy Smith earns first NASCAR Truck win in wild Talladega finish
F1 United States GP: Charles Leclerc completes perfect Friday by topping FP2
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
1 h
F1 United States GP: Charles Leclerc completes perfect Friday by topping FP2
Tony Stewart: Violent Talladega Truck wreck "knocked the wind out of me"
NASCAR Truck
NSTR NASCAR Truck
Talladega
2 h
Tony Stewart: Violent Talladega Truck wreck "knocked the wind out of me"
Feature
Discover prime content
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe