Helmut Marko’s verdict on ‘strange’ McLaren hole and flexi wing ‘scramble’

Helmut Marko is not an engineer but he reckons the hole that was in McLaren’s brake drum was “strange”, and that Red Bull won’t be affected by the FIA’s closer look at flexi wings.

The build-up to the Hungarian Grand Prix saw two big technical issues make headlines as teams brought the FIA’s attention to rivals’ tricks.

Helmut Marko labels McLaren brake drum hole as ‘strange’

German publication Auto Motor und Sport reported that Red Bull had spotted a hole on the McLaren brake drum during recent Grands Prix, a hole that should be covered after practice.

Although teams are permitted to fit sensors during practice, any hole – if that’s what created it – that’s left behind needs to be covered.

Red Bull reportedly spotted holes in McLaren’s brake drum that were still exposed after the practice sessions, with AMuS saying they lodged a complaint.

The holes were reportedly covered again, by tape, for the Austrian and British Grands Prix but the complaint only came to light after Silverstone.

Marko, asked about it by Motorsport.com , called it strange.

“You should ask the FIA!” he said laughing. “I’m not an engineer of course, but the hole was strange in any case.”

McLaren hit back, saying the issue has been “escalated” by their rivals and confirmed it was in fact a hole created for a sensor.

“Actually this matter is very simple, this is a hole to access the sensor and we got the clarification from the FIA that this hole is not allowed and we just taped it,” team boss Andrea Stella told Sky F1.

“It’s a very, very simple matter which for some reason seems to have escalated to become a topic in the paddock but nothing of that kind.”

The 2024 F1 championships without Red Bull and Max Verstappen

👉 The F1 2024 Drivers’ Championship standings without Max Verstappen

👉 Revealed: The F1 2024 Constructors’ Championship without Red Bull

Flexi wing clampdown could ‘scramble’ the F1 pecking order

The McLaren ‘hole’ was by no means the only technical topic being looked at by the FIA in the run-in to the summer break.

Next weekend at the Belgian Grand Prix motorsport’s governing body will run extra cameras on ‘selected’ cars during practice in order to monitor the flexing of front wings.

Although the teams are all in compliance with the regulations governing flexi wings, as the tests stand today, the FIA want to have a closer look.

A look that former F1 driver Martin Brundle says could yet lead to a clampdown that could “scramble” the pecking order.

“The FIA are starting to look at the front wings,” he said. “That could somewhat scramble the pack if they’re told to stop their front wings being so flexy. But we’ll see.”

Marko isn’t worried as he doesn’t believe it will affect Red Bull.

“No, I don’t think so. The FIA ​​already has tests and if you pass them, it doesn’t matter what happens in the race,” he said.

That could change but then, as Marko points out, the FIA “have to find another way to test.”

Read next: Follow PlanetF1.com’s WhatsApp channel for all the F1 breaking news!