‘Illegal’: Formula 1 cheating storm erupts over McLaren’s rear wing

Formula 1 fans have called out McLaren following their latest win with claims they’ve broken the rules with one change to the car.

McLaren have raced to the front of the field in Formula One’s Constructors Championship for the first time in a decade.

But some F1 fans have blasted the team after spotting a “magic” innovation during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, The Sun reports.

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The Woking-based manufacturer have made a remarkable surge up the field since Bahrain 2023, when Lando Norris finished dead last and Oscar Piastri retired due to electrical failure.

But on Sunday, at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, McLaren saw their Papaya reign supreme as Piastri won his second race of the season with some stoic defending against Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Norris took P4 and the fastest lap after an impressive drive through the field having started P15 following some bad luck in qualifying.

The Brit’s result saw him marginally cut into Max Verstappen’s championship lead.

The Baku race confirmed McLaren’s position as the fastest car in the field, with the British team now the only one with two drivers to have won multiple races this season.

However, McLaren’s amazing surge threatens to be overshadowed.

Oscar soaked up his second victory. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Fans of rival teams were left vexed at how they had pulled off such a strong result in Azerbaijan before one “magic” innovation of the McLaren car design was highlighted.

Only last week McLaren and Mercedes were cleared of any wrongdoing over the legality of their front wing, but following Baku it was McLaren’s rear wing which had fans up in arms.

Footage shared on social media by one furious fan showed how the DRS (Drag Reduction System) flap of race leader Piastri tilted up when under aerodynamic load (wind resistance).

This flexible wing created a “mini-DRS” effect, allowing for reduced drag and increased top speed down the straight - which can see drivers hit speeds of 349 km/h.

The extra speed was key in helping Piastri fend off Leclerc, who had the advantage of a fully open DRS flap due to being within one second behind going into the final straight.

The flexi rear wing hasn't been deemed illegal

Taking to social media after the race, one fan said: “The entire DRS flap is rotating under load. You can see at the pivot points, the flap is not aligning with the wing tips.

“The flap is backing off at high speed, shedding drag. How is this okay?”

Another user pointed out gaps at the edge of the flap, and asked: “How is this allowed?”

A third said: “MCLAREN HAS DRS WITHOUT HAVING A CAR INFRONT OF THEM MAN THIS S*** IS NOT LEGAL.”

Several fans also argued the other way by saying F1 should not punish the new interpretation of the rules, with one saying: “It’s called a loophole and that’s what makes Formula 1 great.

“If you don’t like it, don’t watch a series like F1, where a regulation set is interpreted by different teams, in different ways.”

Motorsport engineer Blake Hinsey added on social media: “If the technical regulations have specifications for rear wing deflection and this passes the tests, then it’s legal.

“Every piece of bodywork moves in complex ways under aerodynamic load.

“If McLaren have found a way to reduce the drag on their rear wing in a different way - congratulations - they’ve done a brilliant job engineering this system.”

Leclerc couldn’t get past the Aussie. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

From 2021, rear wings have needed to have 12 target dots in specific locations on the main plane and upper flap to prevent over-rotation of the rear wing assemblies.

However, it is not the first race this has been deployed in by McLaren, meaning the FIA are seemingly happy and satisfied the design is within the constraints currently posed by the regulations.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has hinted that his team could look to follow McLaren’s example in a bid to catch up.

He also admitted Red Bull had made a design error stunting their progress back in Barcelona 2023, but had not taken the warnings raised by Sergio Perez seriously due to Verstappen’s dominance.

McLaren will be hoping their good form continues in next Sunday’s Singapore race, with their championship lead over Red Bull now at 20 points and Norris just 59 points behind Verstappen.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as ‘Illegal’: Formula 1 cheating storm erupts over McLaren’s rear wing