Latest news with #flexiwing
The Sun
5 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
‘Changed nothing' – Lewis Hamilton slams F1 rule change as ‘waste of money' and says ‘we should be giving it to charity'
LEWIS HAMILTON slammed the 'waste of money' flexi-wing rule change after qualifying in Barcelona. The seven-time world champion out-qualified teammate Charles Leclerc for only the second time this season to take fifth in Barcelona. 5 It came after Oscar Piastri pipped McLaren teammate Lando Norris to pole position after a blistering lap. Red Bull's Max Verstappen was third fastest ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell. All the talk in Spain this week has been about the potential impact of the FIA's clampdown on the flexing of front wings. In January the sport's governing body released a technical directive for more stringent flexibility tests on front wings that would be introduced in Barcelona. The FIA hopes this might close up the pecking order on the grid, particularly those chasing high-flying McLaren. But fuming Hamilton said: 'The balance is definitely not as nice as what we had before. It hasn't made any [difference to the leaders]. 'What a waste of money, it's just wasted everyone's money. It's literally changed nothing. money to make these. It doesn't make sense. 'We should be giving it to charity.' One of F1's most recognisable voices reveals Leclerc and Hamilton moments that will live with him forever McLaren bagged their first front row lock out in Barcelona since 1998 with Piastri and Norris looking red hot. When asked if McLaren are untouchable, Hamilton replied: 'Yeah. It's an amazing job they've done. To me it's half a second, but to the guys in front it is three tenths. 'It's not an insurmountable amount that you could catch up, but for example, a lot of work, months, went into developing and getting a tenth of performance. 'We don't have half a second coming, that's for sure, which is what I would need to topple them.' 5 5 Hamilton is still gunning for a first podium of the season, adding: "My target is to try and get to the podium. I haven't been on the podium for a long time. 'The car is so much different to what I drove previous years. So through the weekend, I'm having to adapt this new driving style, which is horrible.' Piastri has vowed to not let the title scrap between him and Norris get between him, but things could all go pear shaped in sunny Spain. Just three points separate the two McLaren team-mates in the drivers' standings following Norris' win at Monaco last weekend with Piastri still ahead. Norris seems to be feeling the pressure of the title race more though as he produced a scrappy final lap and rued 'too many mistakes' in the final qualifying session. The two McLarens battled to and fro in Q3 with Norris coming out trumps after the first run to take provincial pole before Piastri's moment of magic. There had been drama earlier on as fuming Williams driver Alex Albon slammed 'dirty, dirty' Haas drivers who he felt drove purposely slow as he was knocked out in Q2. Red Bull's No2 driver conundrum continued with Yuki Tsunoda's situation going from bad to worse as he suffered a nightmare last place position in qualifying. It was the third race in a row where he was out-qualified by both drivers from Red Bull's junior team Racing Bulls. Meanwhile Carlos Sainz was left miserable as he was booted out in Q1 for Williams at his home Grand Prix. 5
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Automotive
- New York Times
F1's new flexi-wing rules ‘wasted everyone's money', Lewis Hamilton says
BARCELONA — Lewis Hamilton called the latest Formula One technical directive regarding the flexi-wing debacle 'a waste of money' after qualifying for the Spanish Grand Prix saw the competitive order relatively unchanged. McLaren still dominated, Oscar Piastri taking pole position with a 0.209-second gap ahead of teammate Lando Norris. Advertisement A majority of the grid brought new front wings to Barcelona ahead of vertical load tests that would analyze how much the wings flexed for each team. This came after flexi-wings dominated headlines on and off track last season, and the rear wings underwent testing in Australia (and subsequent changes were made from China and Japan). But the front wing tests were delayed because the development for complex car parts takes time — and money. But as teams prepared for the Spanish Grand Prix weekend, some noticed how there was little impact with the change to the front wing. Hamilton commented after qualifying that 'the balance is definitely not as nice as what we had before' and while testing in the simulator, he noticed the car was 'pretty much exactly the same,' though with some oversteer in highspeed sections of the track. 'It's just wasted everyone's money,' the Ferrari driver said. 'It's literally changed nothing. Everyone's wings still bend, which is half the bending, and everyone's had to make new wings and spend more money to make these.' Hamilton later said the money should be given to charity instead. Coming into this weekend, the hope was that the technical directive would help slow down McLaren, possibly closing the gap between the top teams. Barcelona is known for being a strong testing track for aerodynamics, and as qualifying unfolded, it became evident just how dominant McLaren is. Team principal Andrea Stella told Sky Sports the technical directive was 'quite immaterial' after his team secured a front row lockout. 'When you look at the numbers associated to the TD, it was always going to be minor,' he added. 'So yeah, it entertained to have this kind of debate. But in our numbers, in our simulation, it was everything very small. So we weren't concerned from this point of view.' Advertisement While Max Verstappen and George Russell were 0.302 seconds off of Piastri's pole position time, Hamilton was half a second behind after qualifying fifth. It's a significant performance gap, despite two thirds of the season remaining, considering the regulations change in 2026. At some point this year, teams will need to shift all of their focus to next year's car, like Williams already has, rather than continuing to develop the 2025 challenger. McLaren currently holds a 172-point lead over Mercedes in the constructor standings, while the Silver Arrows, Red Bull and Ferrari are covered by five points after eight race weekends. 'It's not an insurmountable amount that you could catch up, but, for example, a lot of work, months, went into developing (the new front wing) and getting like a tenth of performance,' Hamilton said about McLaren's pace. 'So, I don't know if we have… we don't have half a second coming, that's for sure, which is what you'd need to topple them. But never say never.' (Juan Medina/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Forbes
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
What Time Is The 2025 F1 Spanish Grand Prix? Here's How To Watch
BARCELONA, SPAIN Getty Images Formula 1 heads to Barcelona for the final leg of the European triple header from May 30 to June 1. Last weekend, under the glinting Riviera sun, McLaren delivered a masterclass in Monaco. Lando Norris stormed to his second win of the season, while Oscar Piastri clinched P3, enough to keep him at the top of the drivers' standings. It marked McLaren's sixth victory of the eight races so far this season. Reigning champion, Max Verstappen, wrestled with an RB21 that looked difficult in the low-speed corners, ultimately finishing outside the podium. Still, he's lurking just 25 points behind Piastri in the standings. For Mercedes, it was a weekend to forget. Kimi Antonelli crashed out in the first part of qualifying, while George Russell's car lost power in Q2. Strategy didn't offer any lifelines either with a sluggish call on the two-stop left both drivers stuck in traffic and out of points contention. One of Formula 1's most contentious grey areas is back under the microscope in Barcelona — the flexi-wing. It's a technical loophole that's long danced on the edge of legality, but this time, it could trigger a proper reshuffle in the pecking order. The flexible front wing, has become a focal point once again, especially as McLaren's form has surged in recent months. In Spain, new FIA rules will come into effect which tighten how flexible a wing can be. Ferrari and Red Bull have been leading the call for tighter regulations, claiming the advantage of flexibility had become too decisive. Barcelona is the ultimate benchmark. With its mix of fast, slow, and technical corners, it puts every aspect of a car to the test. Perform well here, and chances are you're competitive everywhere else. It is expected to be hot all three days of the Grand Prix weekend. No rain is anticipated, providing optimal track conditions for teams and drivers. Round nine of the season at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya kicks off with FP1 on Friday, May 30 at 1:30 pm local time (CET), followed by FP2 later at 5pm. On Saturday, May 31, drivers will run through a final free practice session at 12:30 p.m. before they set a time for the final starting grid during qualifying at 4 p.m. The 66-lap race will get underway at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 1. All below start times are on Friday unless stated otherwise. All below start times are on Friday unless stated otherwise. All below start times are on Saturday unless stated otherwise. All below start times are on Saturday unless stated otherwise. All below start times are on Sunday unless stated otherwise. Fans in select regions can watch live coverage on F1 TV Pro, which also includes onboard cameras, team radio, and additional exclusive content. Highlights from each day of the 2025 Spanish Grand Prix weekend will be available on F1's YouTube channel.
