Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has said the timing of the FIA’s new technical directive on wing deflection is “good for us”, in that it allows the team to plan ahead.

New, more stringent testing on rear wing deflection will begin from the start of the season, while similar tests will be introduced from the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona, the ninth round of the year.

Ferrari boss responds to timing of FIA front wing technical directive

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Teams were informed of the changes via revisions to an FIA technical directive, TD018, in January, with the most recent F1 Commission meeting confirming and approving the timing of these new tests, which will take effect on front wings from Barcelona onwards.

Aeroelasticity of wings had been a hot topic of conversation last season, with teams having appeared to look at using their wings to maximise downforce through corners, alongside reducing drag in a straight line.

After the FIA sought to establish the facts on the matter last year, this stringent testing will ensure that wings do not flex beyond an already-reduced permitted limit for the 2025 season, after concerns were raised by some teams about rivals’ designs.

F1 and ‘flexible wings’ explained in more detail

👉 Explained: The FIA clampdown on F1’s ‘flexible wings’ saga

👉 The ‘travesty’ of a Grand Prix track hated by Formula 1 drivers and featured in the F1 75 launch

For Ferrari and Vasseur, who themselves introduced a new front wing design in the latter stages of 2024, the timing of the revised technical directive will allow time to plan upgrades accordingly.

“For me, it’s not an issue,” Vasseur told media including PlanetF1.com.

“I think it’s good to have clarity. The most important for me is to know that we have to change something on the front wing by Barcelona, for example.

“You can discuss about the timing, because it’s the week after Monaco, and we need to come to Monaco with a full package of front wing. But at the end of the day, it’s good for us – it’s good for the development and the planification to know when we have to bring something.

“The worst case scenario would have [been] to start the season like we are today and in two or three races, to come with a TD to change something, because it’s much more difficult to planify. And in this case, it would have been a mess.

“But honestly, we all know the situation. We were all planning to bring an upgrade on the front wing during the season, but like this we know that we’ll have to do it by Barcelona.”

Read next: Kimi Antonelli warned of Mercedes ‘Plan B’ with ‘fast but crashes’ concern raised