Formula 1: Why Ferrari and McLaren will have factories inspected by FIA ahead of 2025 F1 season

The FIA will be sending delegates to visit the factories of Ferrari and McLaren ahead of the 2025 Formula One season following a complaint by Red Bull Racing, whose star driver Max Verstappen is a four-time defending champion. The governing body for motorsport is acting on an “official and accusatory file” prepared by Red Bull against defending constructors’ champions McLaren and Ferrari regarding their rear wings.

This could mean a nervous wait for seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton as he gears up for his debut with the 16-time F1 constructors’ champions. Hamilton had signed with the 'Prancing Horse' after an 12-year run with Mercedes, during which he helped the ‘Silver Arrows’ win eight constructors’ titles.

Ferrari and McLaren accused of continuing to benefit form ‘mini DRS’

The FIA had put restrictions on rear-wing flexibility last season after Australian racer Oscar Piastri was found to have benefited from the ‘mini DRS’ effect during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in September. The ban would come into effect later that month in the Singapore GP.

Red Bull technical director Pierre Wache, however, had recently claimed that Ferrari and McLaren, their biggest title rivals, were continuing to benefit from ‘mini-DRS tactics’ in a chat with The Race, forcing the FIA to sit up and take notice of the matter.

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“It is still going on. I think Ferrari and McLaren are doing the mini-DRS stuff still,” Wache had said.

Ferrari's 2025 car hits the track for the first time! ❤️

The Ferrari SF-25 roared into life at Fiorano 🇮🇹#F1 @ScuderiaFerrari pic.twitter.com/vP7KJD8M3t

— Formula 1 (@F1) February 19, 2025

According to FUnoAnalisiTechnica, FIA delegates will be visiting Ferrari and McLaren’s factories in Maranello, Italy and Woking, United Kingdom respectively. The delegates will be making the visit before the 2025 season gets underway with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne next weekend.

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Meanwhile, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko believes Lando Norris and McLaren are the runaway favourites for the world championship heading into the 2025 season.

“In my opinion, it will be a three-way or four-way battle between McLaren, Mercedes, Ferrari and us,” Marko told Sport.de.

“Although, if you look at the test results, McLaren already has a head start. That was the case in both the short and long runs. The current favourite is clearly McLaren,” he added.