Hamilton criticizes new F1 rule: A waste of money!

Hamilton criticizes new F1 rule: A waste of money!

The Formula 1 season 2025 recently started in the Australian Melbourne and brings numerous changes in the standard, some of which came into force in Barcelona at the Grand Prix of Spain for the first time. A central topic is the new rule for the flexibility of the front wings, which aims to reduce the dominance of the current world champion team McLaren.

The rule stipulates how far the front wing of an F1 car can deform under full load. Lewis Hamilton, fifth in qualifying, critically commented on this new rule and described it as a waste of money for all teams. According to Hamilton, the rule "did absolutely nothing" because the front wings continue to bend. His statements are supported by the fact that McLaren's driver Oscar Piatri and Lando Norris were able to achieve the pole position in qualifying for the race, while Piatri as a World Cup leader takes the top of the field and Norris starts as vice world champion.

criticism by Hamilton and new best times

The first free training in Barcelona showed that Lando Norris, who won the last Grand Prix in Monaco, drove the fastest round with a best time of 1: 13.718 minutes. Max Verstappen, who drives for Red Bull, followed second place, followed by Hamilton in third place with only 0.378 seconds behind. In this context, the use of flexible aerodynamics is also discussed, since critics accuse McLaren of creating a “mini-drs” by deforming the wings.

The new regulation for the front wing deformation came into force in Barcelona after controversy about the flexible aerodynamics last year. In previous seasons, a lot was discussed about the porpoising phenomenon, which led to the adjustment of the regulations. The current changes are part of a more comprehensive set of new regulations that are intended to improve security and fairness in racing.

further changes and their effects

In addition to the regulation for front wings, new technical standards for rear wings have also been introduced. These must exist strict flexibility tests that are under pressure, which should further influence the competitive conditions. The back edge of the rear wing, for example, is only allowed to bend by a maximum of 3 mm, which presents the designers with new challenges.

The 2025 season is also characterized by further measures, including the introduction of driver cooling systems to avoid heat -related health problems. According to incidents, these regulations came about at the Grand Prix of Qatar 2023 and are to become mandatory from 2026. All of these changes were introduced with the aim of promoting security and equal opportunities in racing.

The legal and technical adjustments show that Formula 1 always strives to develop further and to offer the teams clear, fair competitive conditions. However, it remains to be seen whether these measures actually bring the desired effect, especially with regard to the continued dominance of McLaren.