With the 2025 season set to begin in just two weeks at the Australian Grand Prix, teams have been closely analysing their rivals’ designs, and recent onboard footage has raised suspicions that some may once again be exploiting the concept of the controversial "mini-DRS".

Last season, McLaren was suspected of manipulating the slot gap in its rear wing to reduce drag and boost straight-line speed, leading to the term “mini-DRS.” Although the FIA introduced stricter regulations on rear wing flexibility for this year, Red Bull’s technical director Pierre Wache has voiced concerns that teams, including Ferrari and McLaren, are still taking advantage of the idea.

“It is still going on,” he told The Race.

“I think Ferrari and McLaren are doing the mini-DRS stuff still.”

According to The Race, suspicions have been fuelled by two key aerodynamic behaviours observed during testing: the entire rear wing structure appearing to rotate backwards and continued flexing of the slot gap at high speeds.

An unnamed team principal echoed these concerns, stating, “Looking at the videos we have seen, some of the rear wings out there appear to be quite flexible. It is something we are keeping a very close eye on.”

As teams are not subject to strict legality checks during pre-season testing, any potential breaches could become a major talking point ahead of the season opener in Melbourne. With further changes to front wing regulations set to be introduced at the Spanish Grand Prix in round nine, the battle over flexible aero solutions is far from over.