Formula 1 News: Mercedes deny ‘flexi wing’ advantage after Singapore

(GMM) Mercedes has dismissed suggestions that their surprise Singapore victory was aided by a flexing front wing design, despite renewed scrutiny this year over the legality of such systems.

The FIA tightened front-wing flex tests earlier this year, but onboard footage from George Russell’s pole and race-winning car caught the attention of observers, including Sky Italia analyst Matteo Bobbi.

“They’ve changed the point where the downforce is generated, and seeing how much it flexes shows the speed advantage and the migration of downforce,” Bobbi said.

Mercedes, however, insists there is nothing controversial about their setup. A team engineer told Auto Motor und Sport that “the front-wing issue is overrated”.

“The rules are clear, and the FIA hasn’t raised any objections since.”

Russell, who dominated from pole, admitted even he hadn’t expected such a strong result at Marina Bay. “If I were to make a list of all the races I thought we could win this year, this would probably be right at the bottom,” he said.

Team boss Toto Wolff said the team’s recent form may actually be linked to its decision to stop upgrading the 2025 car. “It seems to be helping us somehow – not having to constantly change the car,” he smiled.