FIA formally outlaws Mercedes F1 slot-gap separator trick

Mercedes had arrived at the United States Grand Prix in Austin with a new front wing design, but its use of provocative slot gap separators quickly garnered attention from its rivals.

The team’s opposition felt that the new fin-like variants carried much more aerodynamic intent in diverting airflow than the rules were supposed to allow.

Rivals suspected that the way the separators were built helped deliver key performance gains in better managing airflow over the…