A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.
The FIA announced this Monday it had issued a directive on the use of the so-called mini-DRS. Ho-Pin Tung, former driver and current analyst, questions whether a real adjustment has been made here.
In a statement earlier today, the FIA wrote about the rule change: "Specifically, Article 3.15.17, introduced in 2025, states that if 75 kg of vertical load is applied to both ends of the mainplane of the rear wing, the distance between the mainplane and the flap (also known as "slot gap") should not vary by more than 2 mm. From the upcoming Shanghai Grand Prix, this limit will be reduced to 0.5 mm."
Ho-Pin Tung has reservations
Ho-Pin Tung, former test driver for Williams, Sauber and Renault, wonders if this is all feasible from next weekend. The Dutchman, who races under a Chinese licence, calls the adjustment on X "very significant".
"This is a substantial change. Doubt that teams will carry extra wings this early in the season. Wing itself is not within budget until it goes on the car. But you also have transport costs, limited production capacity early in season and R&D costs."
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"Especially with fly-away races, I can't imagine teams having (brought) "safe" wings. This may come as a big surprise. To be continued, no doubt," Tung wrote.
This article was written in collaboration with Ludo van Denderen.
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