FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis has admitted that in hindsight it was a mistake to downplay the significance of F1’s flexi-wing saga.

After flexible wings emerged as a hot topic in 2024, F1’s governing body has taken a firm stance on the issue in the early months of the F1 2025 season.

FIA to introduced even stricter flexi-wing measures at Japanese GP

In February, the FIA issued a Technical Directive to teams warning that more stringent load-deflection tests to the front wing will be introduced from the Spanish Grand Prix weekend in late May, the ninth race of the year.

The move has proven controversial given the potential to upset the balance of the campaign with a mid-season change.

On the eve of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix earlier this month, meanwhile, teams were informed of a renewed effort to monitor the flexibility of rear wings with rear-facing cameras fitted to the cars for Friday practice in Melbourne.

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Although all 10 teams were found in compliance in Australia, the FIA issued another Technical Directive ahead of the second race of the season in China last weekend after finding ‘sufficient grounds’ for a ‘tougher test’ to be introduced.

As revealed by PlanetF1.com last week, even stricter measures are set to be introduced in time for the next race in Japan.

Tombazis has admitted that the FIA was wrong to initially say last year that it wouldn’t rush changes to combat flexi wings.

According to Motorsport.com, he said: “It was an internal decision, I guess.

“I said this a bit too quickly back then and in benefit of hindsight so they would have rather not said that.

“After the season, we analysed all the data we gathered with the cameras and so on and we felt that the trend was that these deflections would continue to increase a lot.

“We felt that we could end up in the middle of the season with fairly large deformations and again a lot of complaints and pressures.

“So we felt that rather than wait for the middle of the season, let’s try to act a bit more decisively early on.

“And that’s why we advised you [the media] around about December time.”

Alpine racing director Dave Greenwood confirmed that the Enstone-based team were among those forced to amend their rear wing to meet the new measures introduced in China, admitting that the team “had to do some work back at the factory” in the short turnaround between the first two races.

Meanwhile, Williams were fined €50,000 – €40,000 of which was suspended – for a procedural error under the new Technical Directive introduced in Shanghai.

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