Williams’ investigation over missing rear wing footage has been pushed to Saturday morning, potentially affecting their sprint race results.
The team is in hot water with F1 officials for not submitting required video of their rear wing after Friday’s first practice session in China.
This isn’t just about paperwork. The footage is part of F1’s crackdown on teams using flexible rear wings – a trick that gives cars extra speed on straights by reducing drag.
Teams are supposed to send these videos within an hour after practice ends. Williams didn’t.
The FIA, Formula 1’s governing body, reported the issue to race stewards, who will now meet with Williams representatives at 8:30 AM Saturday local time.
“Alleged breaches of Articles 3.2.2 and 3.15.16 of the Formula One Technical Regulations – failure to provide the video files recorded by the wireless forward and rearward facing cameras in the specified timescale,” the official document states.
This timing couldn’t be worse for Williams.
The team’s drivers Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz are set to start Saturday’s sprint race in 9th and 13th positions. If Williams is found guilty, both drivers could face penalties that would drop them down the grid.
The flexible wing controversy has been a headache for F1 officials for years. Teams have gotten pretty creative at designing wings that pass static inspections but bend at high speeds to reduce drag – essentially creating a mini version of DRS (the Drag Reduction System).
James Vowles, Williams’ team principal, will likely need to explain the missing footage and convince stewards it wasn’t an attempt to hide anything.
The outcome could significantly impact Williams’ weekend in Shanghai as they fight for valuable championship points.
