Hamilton slams front wing rule changes as ‘a waste of money'
Lewis Hamilton Criticizes Front Wing Rule Change as “A Waste of Money”
BARCELONA, Spain — Lewis Hamilton has criticized Formula 1’s latest technical directive regarding front wing flexing, calling the rule change "a waste of money" after McLaren maintained their dominance in qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix.
The FIA's new regulations, introduced this weekend, aimed to limit how much teams could allow their front wings to bend under load, sparking speculation that it would bring McLaren's impressive pace closer to the chasing pack. In preparation, teams across the grid invested heavily in revised wing designs to meet the updated parameters. However, in the qualifying session, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris locked out the front row with apparent ease, proving the regulation change did little to affect their superiority.
Speaking after qualifying, Hamilton did not mince words:
"What a waste of money," the seven-time world champion said, laughing. "It’s just wasted everyone’s money. It’s literally changed nothing. Everyone’s wings still bend – it’s just half the bending – and everyone’s had to make new wings and spend more money to make these. It doesn’t make sense."
Hamilton added:
"We should be giving [the money] to charity."
Hamilton’s Take on McLaren’s Form
Hamilton had forecast minimal impact from the rule changes, citing observations during simulator tests that suggested limited performance gains from Ferrari’s adjustments. His assessment proved accurate, as he qualified fifth, 0.5 seconds off Piastri’s pole-winning time.
The Mercedes driver was forthright in his post-session comments, admitting that McLaren’s lead is far from surmountable in the short term:
"It’s an amazing job they’ve done," Hamilton said when asked about McLaren’s dominance. "[To] me, it’s half a second, but to the guys in front, it is three-tenths. It’s not an insurmountable amount that you could catch up. But, for example, a lot of work—months—went into developing and getting a tenth of performance. We don’t have half a second coming, that’s for sure, which is what I would need to topple them."
Silver Lining in Qualifying
Despite his frustrations with the rule change, Hamilton found a silver lining, as his qualifying result marked the second time this season he had outpaced Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. Hamilton will start Sunday’s race from fifth, while Leclerc lines up further down in seventh.
Paddock Reactions to the New Regulations
In the paddock, responses to the new regulations vary, although the general sentiment echoes Hamilton’s skepticism. Teams have spent significant resources developing compliant wings, only to see the competitive hierarchy remain largely unaltered.
Race Day Expectations
As the weekend progresses, all eyes will be on whether McLaren can transform their qualifying supremacy into race-day dominance—or if the chasing pack can mount a surprise challenge under the Mediterranean sun. One thing is clear: for Hamilton and many others, front wing flexing remains a contentious issue heading into the rest of the season.
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