A respected Formula 1 analyst has cast doubt on whether the FIA's front wing clampdown will dramatically shift the balance of power at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.
Set to take effect for the first time at Circuit de Catalunya, the stricter tests aim to close loopholes exploited by teams running flexible front wings - most notably McLaren, whose components visibly flex yet pass current compliance checks.
Despite the incoming changes, McLaren has dismissed suggestions that their performance will suffer under the updated enforcement.But Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur believes the clampdown could be a decisive moment in the 2025 title fight.
"This could be a turning point," he said, with Ferrari potentially standing to gain from its more conservative design philosophy.
Jos Verstappen, father and co-manager of Max Verstappen, also supports the FIA's move, seeing it as crucial for fairness and entertainment.
"For the fans and for Formula 1, this is an ideal scenario," he told De Telegraaf.
"They want to have an exciting season and not someone who wins 20 races, so that it becomes monotonous. But I think even more important is that there is a level playing field.
"Certain teams have profited from the flexible front wings for too long, which I don't think is fair," Verstappen added.
However, veteran Auto Motor und Sport correspondent Michael Schmidt believes the clampdown could amount to a minor adjustment rather than a game-changer.
"It's not that the wings are no longer allowed to flex while driving," Schmidt explained.
"Maybe the wings will remain as flexible as they are now.
It's all about passing that test. It's just going to be about 30 percent stricter.
"So if you still manage to pass it with all kinds of scientifically-advanced tricks, the wing can move just as much as it does now."
He added that McLaren, with its deep engineering resources, could well adapt seamlessly. "I have the feeling that McLaren can succeed with this."
While Schmidt sees limited disruption for McLaren, he concedes Ferrari could gain ground under the new regime.
"Vasseur said they were the most conservative team in this area last year, and were the last team to do these current wings," said Schmidt.
"But I don't really think it will affect McLaren. They know exactly what they're doing. When they tightened the rules for the rear wings, nothing really changed."
