Banned: Why F1 moved to outlaw crazy X-wings
Formula 1 teams know that to perform at their best they need to push the regulations to the limit. Sometimes they go too far though. In a new series for Motorsport.com, we look at the technical development that fell foul of the rule-makers and got banned.
In 1997, looking to add more downforce, Tyrrell introduced a new concept, known as X-Wings, which would trigger an intense but short development war before the FIA intervened.
This all began when the team had found a loophole in the regulations it could exploit, allowing it to place winglets high and wide of the car’s main body in order to capture airflow in the freestream.
1998 chassis width changes
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
Tyrrell only deployed its X-Wing solution at a handful of races in ‘97, serving as a way of generating the extra downforce necessary for those circuits that demanded it.
However, the new ‘narrow track’ regulations and grooved tyres introduced in ‘98 played directly into Tyrrell’s hands, as the X-Wings would allow it to claw back some of the associated losses.
Tyrrell 026 1998 X-wings
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
The 026 was designed with them in mind, rather than them being a component that was bolted onto the car when needed.
As such, it was believed they actually contributed up to five percent of the car’s overall downforce. This gain was likely a factor in why four more teams quickly followed suit, with Ferrari, Prost, Jordan and Sauber all sporting their own versions.
At this point the FIA decided that things risked getting out of control: so it intervened and outlawed them.
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Photo by: Ercole Colombo
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Photo by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch
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Photo by: Ercole Colombo
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Photo by: Ercole Colombo
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Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
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Photo by: Motorsport Images
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Photo by: Motorsport Images
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Photo by: Sutton Images
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Photo by: Ercole Colombo
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Photo by: Sutton Images
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Photo by: Sutton Images
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Photo by: Motorsport Images
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| Series | Formula 1 |
| Author | Matt Somerfield |
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