Flexible wings did not appear yesterday. In 2010 there was a lot of fighting between Ferrari and Red Bull over fender flex. At that time, technical guidelines for stiffness and flexibility under static load appeared, and even if these directives existed before, it was from 2010 that the FIA strictly undertook to limit the bend and increased the load every year.
In recent years, the wings have continued to flex under aerodynamic loads to keep things right. select certain grades of carbon fiber, use multidirectional fibers to achieve both flexibility and stiffness and to pass FIA tests. At the same time, in slow turns, the angle of attack of the wing is nominal (maximum), in medium-speed and fast turns, the upper flaps are folded back, reducing the angle of attack, reducing drag and improving the balance of the chassis so as not to experience oversteer.
I'm curious, in the low downforce package will McLaren bring an updated rear wing along with the front or just the rear? The front wing is easy to modify, it is enough to change the upper flap by trimming, but the rear wing must be made from scratch. It is also interesting to what extent the team will be able to solve issues with balance and handling this year, when the updated suspension, bottom and side pontoons will debut.