Horner insists ‘bendy’ Red Bull F1 wing Hamilton spotted is legal

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner insists that the RB16B’s rear-wing design does not contravene Formula 1 regulations.
Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing RB16B.
Max Verstappen (NLD) Red Bull Racing RB16B.
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Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton revealed he had noticed Red Bull’s rear-wing flexing at hi🌄gh-💯speed during the Spanish Grand Prix weekend and suggested it could be worth up to three-tenths of a second in lap time.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after qualifying, the seven🍬-time world champion commented: “The Red Bulls are really fast on the straights.

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“They have this bendy wing on t🎀he back of their car which they put on today an𝔍d they gained at least three tenths from this wing.

“So t𝓰hey will be quicker down the straights than us and it will be hard to keep them behind, but that doesn’t mean it will be imposs🐽ible.”

Teams including Red Bull have used aeroelasticity in the past to find straight-line speed gains but the FIA has&🍸nbsp;strin💖gent load tests that must be passed which detect any adverse rear flex on the wings.

Asked about Hamilton’s comments after Maxꩲ Verstappen fin🐟ished second to the Briton in Sunday’s race, Horner categorically denied that the team’s car features any component that breaks the rules.

Horner also ins♒inuated that Hamilton had been told to bring up the so-called “bendy” wing by Mercedes.

“Of course the cars are scrutineered thoroughly and ther🌟e's pull back tests, there's all kinds of different tests it ✅has to pass,” Horner said.

“The FIA are completely happy with the c𒅌ar, that iꦰt has passed all of those tests that are pretty stringent.

“So I was surprised to see his comments on that but it's something that Toto has mentioned to me previously. I doubt it was Lewis's opinion, it probably came from else🗹where.”

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was tight-lipped on the subject when 🎶asked for a resp🍬onse to Horner’s suggestion he had encouraged Hamilton to mention it.

"It’s good fun,” Wolff said. “We discus𝄹sed 💞it, but everybody’s…let me not comment.”

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