Lando Norris has dismissed the impact of the new flexi-wing clampdown introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix, stating that the changes made no difference despite numerous complaints about McLaren’s car. The regulation adjustments aimed to limit the flexibility of front wings, a design element McLaren was believed to exploit.
Leading into the Barcelona event, there was widespread speculation about whether McLaren’s performance would suffer under the stricter tests. Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur suggested the rule change could reshape the competitive landscape in 2025, but McLaren’s qualifying and race results contradicted these predictions.
McLaren Front Row Lockout and Race Success
At the Spanish GP, McLaren achieved a front-row lockout for the first time since the opening round in Australia, with Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri securing first and second on the grid. This dominant starting position translated into an impressive one-two finish on race day, as Piastri celebrated his fifth win of the season.
Norris, currently trailing Piastri by 10 points in the Drivers’ Championship, expressed confidence in the car’s overall package.
“There was a lot of complaints about our car, and they introduced this TD [Technical Directive] and changed nothing,”
—Lando Norris
“The team have done a very good job to just give us a good all-round car and the best car on the grid. So, we’re very proud to be able to go and drive those cars every weekend. It’s credit to the team that we have, to give day in and day out.”
—Lando Norris
Ferrari’s Response and Verstappen’s Strategy in Spain
While Ferrari was expected to benefit from the flexi-wing clampdown, Charles Leclerc only managed his second podium of the season, having struggled to match McLaren’s pace. Max Verstappen, who tried a different strategy, was the only other driver to challenge McLaren in race conditions but ultimately could not close the gap.
Critical Voices on Regulation Impact from Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton criticized the updated front wing regulations, which required most teams to redesign their wings, calling the process a waste of resources and money. He argued that the money spent on adapting to the new rules would have been better donated.
“should be giving that money to charity”
—Lewis Hamilton
“The balance is definitely not as nice as what we had before. It hasn’t made any [difference to the leaders],”
—Lewis Hamilton
“What a waste of money, it’s just wasted everyone’s money. It’s literally changed nothing. Everyone’s bent wings still bend.”
—Lewis Hamilton
“It’s just half the bending, and everyone’s had to make new wings, and spend more money to make these. It doesn’t make any sense.”
—Lewis Hamilton
FIA Explains Timing of Technical Directive Implementation
Nikolas Tombazis, FIA’s single-seater director, addressed why the flexi-wing tests were introduced only from the ninth round onward. He said imposing these regulations earlier would have forced teams to discard significant parts and incur unnecessary expense.
“Therefore, we felt that deferred introduction was more sensible.”
—Nikolas Tombazis
Expert Analysis on McLaren’s Unaffected Performance
David Croft, Sky Sports F1 commentator, emphasized that the new technical directive had clearly not weakened McLaren’s pace, contrary to expectations. According to Croft, McLaren’s adaptation required only a minor structural change to the wing, such as adding a small bracket to stiffen it, allowing them to maintain and even increase their lead in the Constructors’ Championship.
“I thought one of the key things about Sunday’s race was the lack of evidence that the new technical directive from the FIA has made any difference to McLaren whatsoever. McLaren kept saying ‘it’s going to make no difference to our competitive pace, Red Bull are looking in the wrong places’.”
—David Croft
“It appears Red Bull actually might have been looking in the wrong places because all McLaren did to their wing was put a little £50 bracket on to it to stiffen it up, and Oscar Piastri still won, Lando Norris still finished second and they still increased their advantage at the top of the Constructors’ Championship.”
—David Croft
“What’s happened on the track, with McLaren’s pace not being affected by this technical directive, will have more of an impact on Max Verstappen’s championship chances than his run-in with George Russell at Turn Five.”
—David Croft
McLaren’s Position in the Championship and Challenges Ahead
McLaren leads the Constructors’ Championship by a commanding 197-point margin over Ferrari after nine rounds. In the Drivers’ Championship, Piastri holds a 49-point advantage over Verstappen, who dropped to tenth following a penalty for his collision with George Russell.
Despite McLaren’s strong race pace, both Norris and Piastri acknowledge vulnerabilities remain, particularly in qualifying sessions, where margins are extremely tight.
“This weekend, we were probably a bit quicker than we expected compared to Red Bull,”
—Oscar Piastri
“I think we thought they would be a really genuine threat this weekend. They were with us in the race, but more through strategy, I guess, than pure pace.”
—Oscar Piastri
“But it seemed like we had a little bit of an edge over them. So, I don’t know. There will be other tracks where our competitors get closer. There’s probably going to be some where they’re further away. I hope there’s more where they’re further away than closer.”
—Oscar Piastri
“I think people seem to quickly forget how close the other qualifying sessions have been,”
—Lando Norris
He added that qualifying results have frequently been separated by mere hundredths and thousandths of a second, showing how competitive the field remains.
“They’ve been split by hundredths and thousandths, and there hasn’t been smooth sailing for us in every single one. So, I think that will be the case in future ones. But it’s clear we just have the best car on average, and we still seem stronger in the race. Although, it’s clear that the others are catching up. Our gaps in the race were probably a lot bigger in the beginning of the year than they are now.”
“I do think that our competitors are catching up. But, we just need to keep our heads down and keep working hard.”
—Lando Norris
Looking Ahead to the Summer Break and Canadian Grand Prix
The Formula 1 calendar will pause following a demanding European triple-header, with racing action scheduled to resume at the Canadian Grand Prix from June 13 to 15. McLaren’s strong performance through the first nine rounds makes them a team to watch as the season progresses on Sky Sports F1, with live streaming available through NOW.
