Daily Times

A rear wing controversy that had Formula One rivals up in arms at the Singapore Grand Prix was a ‘red herring’ and good news for McLaren even if they do not use that version again, according to team boss Andrea Stella. The championship leaders drew scrutiny after video showed the wing flexing at speed, with talk of a ‘mini-DRS’ drag reduction effect, during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix won by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri the previous weekend.

McLaren agreed to modify the wing, which passed tests but would not have been used in Singapore due to the characteristics of the circuit, for future races after talks with the governing FIA. Stella said it was all something of a ‘red herring’, a misleading distraction.

“For us, making changes is pretty much transparent, so we may as well do it,” he told reporters at the Marina Bay circuit before the race.

“It won’t be a big consequence from a performance point of view.

“Personally, as the principal of McLaren, I find that so much attention on our rear wing is just good news because it means that opponents are not focusing on themselves,” added the Italian.