A new FIA technical directive set to come into effect partway through the F1 2025 season places stronger limitations on “flexi-wings,” or wings that can deform under aerodynamic pressure.

Teams like McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes that seemed to rely on the flexi-wing for improved performance are expected to struggle, but Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes a mid-season ban can only be good for reigning champion Max Verstappen.

Helmut Marko calls FIA flexi-wing technical directive ‘insane’

In 2024, McLaren found itself at the center of an ongoing debate about the legality of its rear wing — specifically, the flexibility of that wing. That flexibility also extended to the rear wings, forcing the FIA to investigate the legality of those “flexi-wings.”

Despite initially clearing McLaren and Mercedes to run their flexible wings and stating that no additional changes were on the way, the FIA remained concerned that its current suite of tests wasn’t capable of accurately measuring the movement of the wings.

Enter TD018. This technical directive reduced the permitted level of flexibility of the front wing, with the new rules coming into effect at that Spanish Grand Prix, nine rounds into the F1 2025 season.

The only issue is that many teams have emulated the flexi-wing example set by McLaren and Mercedes in 2024; now, they could be facing censure later in the year.

More information on the flexi-wings:

???? Why a new ‘mini-DRS’ storm could brew at the Australian GP weekend

???? Explained: The FIA clampdown on F1’s ‘flexible wings’ saga

Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport about the potential upsets to the balance of power this technical directive could have, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko said, “Now everyone except the smaller teams has built a wing that bends.

“It’s insane that they will all throw them away in the middle of the season.

“Either the new rule should apply right from the start or not at all. The FIA should have realised by now that rules have to be written in such a way that there are no grey areas like this.”

The decision to focus on these flexi-wings in 2025, just months before the onset of a new comprehensive rules package, means that there may not be much of an effect in terms of outright pace.

Rather, the flexible wings have simply provided a level of stability that makes the cars easier to handle — and that’s the part that Marko feels could benefit one of Red Bull’s drivers.

“It will definitely advantage Max,” he told Auto Motor und Sport.

“No one else handles a difficult car like he does.”

Read next: No Verstappen podium? Five bold predictions for the Australian Grand Prix