Sun Jun 01 13:20:00 UTC 2025: ## Hamilton Slams “Waste of Money” Wing Crackdown as McLaren Dominates Spanish GP Qualifying
**BARCELONA, Spain -** Lewis Hamilton has criticized the FIA’s new regulations on front wing flexibility as a “waste of money,” after McLaren secured a dominant front-row lockout at the Spanish Grand Prix qualifying session.
The new directive aimed to curb excessive bending in front wings, with speculation that it would level the playing field and reduce McLaren’s competitive advantage. However, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris dominated qualifying, leaving their rivals trailing.
“What a waste of money,” Hamilton exclaimed after qualifying fifth, half a second behind Piastri’s pole position. “It’s literally changed nothing. Everyone’s wings still bend, it is just half the bending; and everyone’s had to make new wings and spend more money to make these. It doesn’t make sense. We should be giving it to charity.”
Hamilton had predicted minimal impact from the rule change, having seen little performance gain in simulator tests.
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who qualified seventh, echoed a similar sentiment, acknowledging McLaren’s impressive performance. “It’s an amazing job they’ve done,” Leclerc stated. “It’s not an insurmountable amount that you could catch up, but a lot of work, months, went into developing and getting a tenth of performance. We don’t have half a second coming, that’s for sure, which is what I would need to topple them.”
Hamilton’s fifth-place start marks only the second time this season he has outqualified his Ferrari teammate, Leclerc. The race promises an uphill battle for both drivers as they attempt to challenge McLaren’s seemingly untouchable pace.
First Piper 