"Conspiracy theory or just coincidence?" - Comment on the "meatball flag" at the Formula E races in London

There were two occasions at the London E-Prix when a driver from a team battling for the Formula E teams' world championship title drove with a damaged front wing. While race control intervened with Antonio Felix da Costa's Porsche and ordered him to the pits, they did not intervene with Oliver Rowland's Nissan, to the surprise of many. An issue that does not seem to be under control even after three seasons with the Gen3 car. A commentary.

On the tenth lap of the season finale, Rowland made contact with Nyck de Vries, who was driving in front of him, damaging his front wing. "The wing has gone. Tell the FIA, the wing is gone and it's not dangerous," Rowland reported to his team over the radio. The TV pictures, however, showed something completely different: the wing was hanging off and even partially rubbing against the right front tyre of the Nissan on the back straight. There was no reaction from race control and Rowland was allowed to continue until he collided with Nico Müller on lap 15 and retired from the race.

24 hours earlier, things had looked different: Porsche driver Felix da Costa also had a defective front wing after contact on lap 28, which scraped the ground as well as the front tyre. The race director reacted quickly: the Portuguese driver was called into the pits with the "meatball flag" (black with orange disc) for safety reasons, and he collected a new front wing at the end of lap 31.

For some time now, Formula E drivers have been calling for more consistency in the decisions made by FIA officials. When it comes to penalties imposed by the stewards, it was already apparent towards the end of the season that a more consistent line was being taken. According to the colleagues at The Race, this was preceded by a meeting between driver representatives and race director Marek Hanaczewski before the race weekend in Jakarta, which focussed on precisely this topic.

In the case of the black flag with orange disc, there is no such consistency, especially after the season finale in London. Or, after the London weekend, can someone explain to me how exactly a front wing has to be damaged and hanging down for a driver to be forced to have it changed for safety reasons?

Flag for Rowland would have decided title fight

In special cases, the FIA is obviously reluctant to apply the same standards when judging these cases: When it comes to potentially intervening in the title fight. By showing the black and orange flag to Rowland, who was in second place at the time, the race director would have de facto decided both championships still open against Nissan's favour. Just "well" that Rowland did it himself five laps later with his manoeuvre against Müller, thus sparing the FIA the kind of controversy that arose in Formula 1 in 2021.

In the opposite case, however, it was apparently much easier: Felix da Costa was on was ahead of the two Nissan drivers and course for points at the time he received the black flag with orange disc. Had he crossed the finish line in this position, he would have increased Porsche's lead in the team and manufacturer standings ahead of the final race. The fact that he had to come into the pits to change the front wing meant that the championship was at least a little more open again. Oliver Rowland, on the other hand, was the best-placed Nissan driver and the "last hope" in the battle for the teams' and manufacturers' championship when he suffered the damage to the front wing. Conspiracy theory or perhaps just coincidence?

The fact is, however, that this is not a new issue for the Gen3 cars. There were already similar discussions two years ago - including in London - to which we also dedicated a commentary at the time. After the race, McLaren team boss Ian James, then also chairman of the Formula E Team and Manufacturers Association (FETAMA), told The Race: "Ultimately the teams are responsible for the safety of their own cars, making sure they go out in a safe manner." Sometimes, but only sometimes, the officials interpret this differently.