Front Wing Flap Flexibility

In Simple Terms

F1 front wing flaps are tested to ensure they don't flex too much during cornering. When engineers push down on the flap with a force equivalent to about 13 pounds using a rubber pad, the flap's trailing edge can only bend a maximum of 10mm (less than half an inch). This prevents teams from gaining unfair aerodynamic advantages through excessive flap movement.

• Maximum deflection allowed is 10mm at the trailing edge of front wing flaps
• Test applies a 60 Newton load (approximately 13 pounds of force) to the flap
• Flap must be tested in Cornering Mode, simulating real race conditions
• Load is applied through a 25mm diameter rubber pad to simulate realistic contact