FIA release statement amid fan claims that McLaren should be disqualified from Azerbaijan GP after unseen footage emerges
The FIA have clarified the status of McLaren’s cars amid fan comments.
The FIA have released a statement on the status of both McLaren cars amid fan calls for them to be disqualified from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Oscar Piastri produced a stunning drive to win the Grand Prix for McLaren, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc after an intense battle for the lead.
Lando Norris, meanwhile, climbed 11 places from 15th to finish in fourth place, ahead of Max Verstappen.
The result means that McLaren are now in the lead of the Constructors’ Championship for the first time in over a decade ahead of Red Bull.
Norris, meanwhile, is 59 points behind Drivers’ Championship leader Verstappen with seven races remaining.
But some fans called for the FIA to investigate McLaren after onboard footage of Piastri’s rear wing was posted on Twitter.
Fans expressed concern over the rear wing’s deflection under high speed. But a comparison of the wing compared to Ferrari and McLaren appeared inconclusive.
Norris’ McLaren was one of the three cars chosen at random to undergo scrutineering from the FIA after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix had finished, along with Verstappen and the Haas car driven by Ollie Bearman.
And in a subsequent document, the FIA confirmed that it had assessed all three cars to be fully legal.
Among the parts checked were the rear wing endplate, endplate body and tip.
The FIA’s Technical Delegate Jo Bauer said: “All car weights and the items checked were found to be in conformity with the 2024 FIA Formula One Technical Regulations.”
Earlier this month, Red Bull and Ferrari both raised a complaint with the FIA over the flexibility of McLaren’s front wing and whether it breached technical regulations.
But the FIA again confirmed that the car part was compliant, stating: “The FIA is examining front wings at every event with numerous checks (conformity of surfaces, conformity of deflections) with respect the relevant F1 Technical Regulation. All front wings are currently compliant with the 2024 regulations.”
