Sometimes, motorsport evolves slowly. A tweak here, a rule change there. But not in 1968. That year, Formula 1 didn’t just shift — it exploded. All because of one thing: wings.
Not metaphorical ones. Actual metal flaps strapped to cars, meant to do the unthinkable — push the car down into the track instead of just slip through air. And suddenly, downforce became the word of the decade.
Who Really Brought the First Front Wing? Depends Who You Ask
There’s still a bit of debate, but three big names were in the mix: Lotus, Ferrari, and Brabham. Each had a different take. Each helped kick off what would become F1’s aero revolution.
Lotus at Monaco – The Subtle Spark
It all began at the twisty streets of Monaco, where Lotus showed up with a slightly modified 49B. At first glance, not much seemed different. But look closely — there were small “lip” style front winglets, and a modest rear spoiler.
Graham Hill stuck it on pole and won the race. Boom. Downforce had arrived.
Why it worked? Simple. The wings pressed the car into the ground. More grip. More control through Monaco’s slow corners. No crazy speed straights to expose weaknesses. Chapman knew exactly where to test it.
Ferrari at Spa – Go Big or Go Home
Just weeks later, Ferrari showed up at Spa with something far more aggressive. Engineer Mauro Forghieri had gone full mad scientist: he threw a massive rear wing right onto Chris Amon’s suspension.
It looked like someone had stolen a plane part and welded it to an F1 car.
Did it work? Oh yes. Amon was six seconds quicker than his teammate with no wing. Suddenly, everyone took aero seriously. It wasn’t just a gimmick — it was performance gold.
Brabham – Experimental and a Little Wild
Not wanting to miss the party, Brabham went all-in on some… well, odd designs. They mounted tall wings high above the chassis on spindly arms. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes, not at all.
The paddock was entering a full-blown “wing arms race”. Teams were strapping whatever they could dream up, with zero regulations or safety checks. The cars looked bizarre — and more importantly, dangerously unstable.
Then the Wings Started Breaking… Badly
It didn’t take long for the honeymoon to end. At 150+ mph, some of these makeshift wings started snapping off mid-race. Drivers lost control. Big crashes followed.
By 1969, things got so out of hand that the FIA had to step in:
- High wings? Banned
- Suspension-mounted aero? Gone
- Wings had to be attached to the chassis, and pass strength tests
It was a crash course in engineering limits. But it forced teams to rethink aero seriously — and gave birth to the regulated, wind-tunnel-driven world we know today.
So Did Front Wings Work Right Away?
Well, sort of.
- Yes, they instantly made the cars faster in corners.
- No, they weren’t reliable at all.
Early versions were flimsy and unpredictable. But once teams figured out how to build them stronger, front wings became essential. Grip improved. Lap times fell. And aero became the name of the game.
Why 1968 Still Matters Today
That wild, scrappy year rewrote how F1 cars were built. Now?
- Teams spend millions designing just the front wing.
- Wings control airflow across the entire car — not just the front.
- Drivers can adjust front wing angles from the cockpit for better balance.
All that started with a few bold experiments over 50 years ago.
From Metal Flaps to Modern Marvels
Funny thing is, the origin of the front wing wasn’t exactly clean or elegant. It was messy. Risky. A bit chaotic. But it worked — and it changed the sport forever.
So next time you see a front wing get destroyed in Turn 1 chaos, just remember: it all began in 1968, when a few engineers looked at an F1 car and thought, “What if we gave it wings?”
