Nico Rosberg, the Sky F1 pundit and 2016 World Champion, is convinced that the Spanish Grand Prix technical directive will have an “enormous” impact on the F1 2025 season.

However, fellow pundit Naomi Schiff has claimed that the changes could only make a difference of 0.1 seconds to the performance of teams.

Sky F1 pundits split on Spanish GP changes as Nico Rosberg returns

Having been announced over the winter, Technical Directive TD018 has come into effect ahead of this weekend’s Spanish GP at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

It marks the latest step in the FIA’s clampdown on so-called flexi wings with the front wings of the cars targeted by the change.

With front wings arguably the most important aerodynamic element of an F1 car, the technical directive has the potential to change the course of the F1 2025 season.

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Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com at last weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix, Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur described the measure as a potential “gamechanger.”

Appearing on Sky F1’s coverage of Friday’s opening practice session in Barcelona, Schiff revealed that she has seen an estimate suggesting that teams will only gain or lose around 0.1s per lap as a result of the Spanish GP changes.

She said: “I’ve seen a figure out there that estimates that it might be around a tenth of a difference that it might make, but we don’t know for who and for how much it’s going to mean for every team, so it’s going to be interesting.

“But of course, a lot of them were making benefits out of having their wing flex, so it could ultimately have the same effect for everyone and then therefore not have much of a change on the pecking order.

“But it will be interesting to see how it affects the balance of the cars as well because whilst they are doing these load tests, it’s not exactly the same amount of load as the cars will have, of course, in really high downforce down the straight.

“So let’s see how much of a difference it makes and what that means from slow speed to medium speed to high speed.”

In response, Rosberg argued that the front wing changes will have an “enormous” effect on the aero balance of the cars.

And he fears that the drivers will now be fighting against “massive oversteer” in high-speed corners from the Spanish GP, with the changes to the front wing having a “chain effect” on the rest of the car and its handling.

He said: “We know that it will have a big impact. There was a lot of ‘blah, blah blah’ from the drivers [on Thursday].

“It can have up to two per cent aero balance impact in high-speed corners. That’s enormous for these race cars.

“For the same aero balances at slow speed, you get two per cent more in high speed, so that can make massive oversteer into high-speed corners now.

“You wear the rear tyres more, so it has a whole chain effect and they need to figure out what they’ve just done.”

Reigning champions McLaren enter the Spanish Grand Prix weekend with a 147-point lead in the Constructors’ standings, having won six of the opening eight races in F1 2025 so far.

Oscar Piastri leads the Drivers’ championship with team-mate Lando Norris just three points behind following his victory in Monaco last weekend.

The only races McLaren failed to win this season, in Japan and Emilia Romagna, both went to Red Bull driver Max Verstappen.

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