Guenther Steiner has refuted Lewis Hamilton’s suggestion that the brand new flexi-wing directive in System 1 was a “waste of cash”, saying it was slightly “low-cost” for groups to adjust to the stricter exams.
The FIA started clamping down additional on shifting aero components from this month’s Spanish Grand Prix, with all vehicles now having to go more durable static load exams for entrance wing flexing.
All groups needed to design new entrance wings in accordance with the up to date laws and got enough time to take action, having been knowledgeable of the change again in January.
Following the Barcelona race, seven-time F1 champion Hamilton was fast to criticise the technical directive, arguing that it was nothing greater than “waste of cash” as “everybody’s bent wings nonetheless bend, it’s simply half the bending.”
He added that his Ferrari felt “just about precisely the identical” to emphasize that the brand new entrance wing had restricted affect on efficiency or dealing with.
Now, former Haas F1 boss Guenther Steiner has counteracted Hamilton’s declare, suggesting that groups didn’t need to spend wherever as a lot cash because the Briton thinks.
“This flexi wing is identical for everybody,” Steiner stated on the Crimson Flags podcast.
“Lewis got here out with the remark that every one this cash was wasted on doing this and stuff like this – there was no cash wasted.
“All people went in to develop this one, as a result of it’s important to ensure that your wing will not be flexing.
“I learn someplace that McLaren simply put a further bracket on the wing so it doesn’t bend [as] a lot anymore.
“So it was a really low-cost repair to do away with this flexi wing and a part of it was the complaining of the opposite groups.
“They complained, however what did they achieve? Nothing. They gave the McLaren extra benefit.”
Though there was hypothesis that the directive may shake up the aggressive order, McLaren remained dominant in Spain, with Oscar Piastri main one other 1-2 for the Woking squad forward of teammate Lando Norris.
For Steiner, McLaren’s skill to reclaim any benefit misplaced from the entrance wing redesign exhibits simply how sturdy its engineering division is.
“McLaren is aware of precisely what they should do with the automobile,” he stated.
“In the event that they lose the flexi wing or the impact the flexi wing provides them, they go to the wind tunnel and attempt to replicate what they needed to get the identical steadiness on the automobile once more.
“And perhaps you can’t get 100 per cent there, however you get 99.8 per cent there.”
