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'Race on to adopt McLaren wing'

Friday 12th March 2010

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'Race on to adopt McLaren wing'

'Race on to adopt McLaren wing'

Mercedes GP team boss Ross Brawn admits the race is on to adopt McLaren's controversial rear wing design after the FIA deemed it legal.

McLaren arrived in Bahrain with a hole in their rear wing design, which is believed to give the team an extra 6mph down the straights.

And although Red Bull initially questioned the legality of the design, it was given the all-clear on Thursday evening from the FIA's technical chief Charlie Whiting.

Now the race is on for McLaren's rivals to incorporate the design into their own cars.

"We will have to get on and make our own version of it now," Brawn told Autosport.

"It wasn't clear what the situation was, but we have had clarity from the FIA about how they want to treat it, so we are all off running in that direction."

However, not everyone is happy with Whiting's decision as Lotus Lotus technical chief Mike Gascoyne believes the system, which reportedly works by the drivers blocking a pipe in their cockpit with their kneeds, is a "moveable" aerodynamic device.

"I still believe it's a moveable aerodynamic device because the configuration of the (car's) aerodynamics are changing," said Gascoyne.

"Whether the driver is doing with it his knee or not, they (the aerodynamics) are not the same all the time so therefore it must be a moveable aero device.

"We know what the rules are... but it is a pretty silly interpretation."

Williams, meanwhile, intend spending some time looking over Whiting's interpretation of the law before plotting their course of action.

"What I'm told Charlie is saying is that Lewis or Jenson's knee, or whatever it is, is not part of the car," Patrick Head told Press Association Sport.

"It is a bit of a problem because if one car is suddenly able to gain five or six kilometres an hour on the straight then we've all got to do it.

"If anybody comes up with a way to make their car 0.3 or 0.4 of a second quicker around the track that other people haven't done, then they've been very clever.

"I'm not saying it's illegal, but we've just got to look at Charlie's interpretation."

Related Links
McLaren drivers' knees 'stall' rear wing!
Renault angry | Red Bull set to copy

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