BARCELONA : McLaren’s Formula One rivals hope stricter front wing tests could help to close the gap to the runaway leaders in Spain this weekend.
Even if title-chasing team mates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris are confident little will change, others remain unconvinced.
F1 teams were told in January that the front flex tests would be implemented from June 1 after rear wings came under increased scrutiny when the season started in March.
Teams have had to redesign their front wings to make them stiffer, which will affect the aerodynamics.
“I think Barcelona is on the calendar of everybody in the paddock with the new regulation for the front wing,” Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur, whose team are fourth overall and a point behind Red Bull, said in Monaco last weekend.
“We are working on it for ages now and this can be a game-changer for everybody because we don’t know the impact on every single team of the new regulation.”
Champions McLaren, winners of six of eight races so far and a mighty 172 points clear of Mercedes in the constructors’ standings, say the circuit itself could have a bigger effect with high-speed corners not naturally suiting their car.
Rivals will be watching closely either way.
“What we don’t know is how it will affect others. It’s a significant change,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner, whose champion Max Verstappen is chasing a fourth successive Spanish victory.
“There will be some effect. Of course the teams have anticipated that, so it may well be neutral or maybe it will have some effect on (tyre) degradation… it certainly doesn’t make life easier.”
Barcelona is high-downforce and overtaking is not easy, although fans can hope for a better race than Monaco’s no-overtaking procession.
“It will be interesting to see who has better interpreted this new challenge and if it will change the actual ranking of competitiveness,” said Haas technical director Andrea de Zordo.
Championship leader Piastri is only three points clear of Norris after the Briton’s win in Monaco on Sunday and both will be at the centre of attention.
Norris has the momentum, beating Piastri in the last two races even if the Australian leads four wins to two.
The Briton still smarts from a win that got away in Spain last year after taking pole and then losing out at the start to Verstappen.
Seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton has won a record-equalling six times in Spain but is still waiting for his first win with Ferrari, apart from a Shanghai sprint victory, since he joined from Mercedes in January.
Mercedes are also looking to return strongly after a double blank in Monaco with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
Spain’s double world champion Fernando Alonso will have strong support and hopes to end his worst start to a season in a decade, the Aston Martin driver pointless after eight races.
Carlos Sainz is making his home return in Williams colours after losing his Ferrari seat to Hamilton.
Barcelona faces an uncertain future, with the contract running out in 2026 and Madrid set to host the Spanish Grand Prix from next year.
Alonso, who this week became an ambassador for the Barcelona circuit, has said the track needs to stay on the calendar.
Sainz is carrying out a similar promotional role for Madrid, adding piquancy to their friendly rivalry.
