D he topic of the F-shaft does not let Formula 1 go. After the quarrels in Melbourne, the dispute between Mercedes and the competition in Malaysia goes into the second round. Above all, Red Bull and Lotus continue to front against the controversial rear wing of the Silver Arrows, which sucks in air and blows it out again on the underside of the front wing.
FIA declares Mercedes wings legal
' There is a little debate about the Mercedes rear wing. The car went through the acceptance test. So you have to assume that the FIA agrees with the configuration of the rear wing, 'said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner at the official FIA press conference on Friday (23.2.).
In Australia, the technology testers of the world association found Mercedes technology to be legal. Activating the shaft using the DRS does not violate the rules. The actual system is completely passive. In Malaysia, race director Charlie Whiting once again confirmed this point of view. 'There is nothing to complain about.'
Horner demands a clear message from the FIA
That should end the matter, right? 'Probably not,' replied Horner when asked. 'I'm certainly not the only one here who wants clarity about whether this interpretation of the rules is accepted or not. We are trying to find out. We hope to achieve this clarity this weekend.'
Behind Red Bull is probably already working on a copy of the system itself. But one would certainly like to save the financial effort. And after the first training impressions from Malaysia, Mercedes seems to be a serious candidate for the podium.
Malaysia protest unlikely
An official protest after the race is unlikely, however. The FIA had asked the teams to raise a possible objection before the first training session. The race result shouldn't be hanging in the balance for a long time on Sunday evening. In addition, Mercedes should be given enough time to react and not only protest when the result does not match.