FIA clampdown forces McLaren car change - report

The FIA suspects McLaren would have failed the new flexi rear wing tests had they been introduced for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, it has been reported.

Ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, the FIA announced that the tests surrounding the flexibility of rear wings had been further tightened. 

In Shanghai, the size of the rear wing opening had to be below 0.5 mm; however, a tolerance of 0.25 mm was in place due to the limited notice the teams had of the new technical directive. 

For the Japanese Grand Prix next weekend, this tolerance will not be in place. It is a stark change from the 2 mm opening which was allowed in Australia, with many pointing fingers at McLaren.

The rule was adjusted by the FIA to counter the mini-DRS phenomenon, which it appears some teams benefitted from at Albert Park. 

McLaren has found itself under a magnifying glass following onboard footage in Australia; however, the outfit denied in Shanghai that it needed to make adjustments to its rear wing to pass the stricter rear wing tests. 

But following a report from The Race, it appears that changes were in fact made by the Woking-based team. 

The publication states that the FIA does suspect that McLaren would have failed the rear wing test in Australia, had the stricter rules been in place. 

FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis told select media including RacingNews365 in China that "four or five teams had taken action".

It is reported that McLaren likely stiffened its rear wing set-up, resulting in a loss of top speed, which would explain why the Woking-based team's advantage was smaller than expected.