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Ferrari has trialled a new solution to combat wet weather as part of an FIA-organised test in Fiorano.
Ferrari trial the FIA’s new wet weather spray guard design (Image Credit: Autosport)The test follows a similar initiative that was trialled last season. McLaren and Mercedes tested with a modified rear, the tyres partially covered by spray guards.
Mick Schumacher’s Mercedes and Oscar Piastri’s McLaren lapped Silverstone, with Piastri following the Mercedes to confirm visibility. No outcome or details of the test were ever published other than it made no perceivable difference to visibility.
However, Ferrari has now tested a modified version of the experiment for the FIA. The new, innovative approach features more aggressively designed spray guards.
Learning lessons from last year
As reported by motorsport.com, Ferrari’s Arthur Leclerc and Oliver Bearman trialled a solution that covered three-quarters of the tyres. Using the 2023 SF-75, the two drivers analysed the new solution, and the FIA confirmed that the day did not count as a filming or test day.
Speaking in 2023, FIA’s single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis recalled the failure of the first programme. He stated the main failure was spray guards that were too small:
“What was done at Silverstone, with the help of Mercedes who created parts and McLaren [who ran a car to get feedback on spray] was perhaps too optimistic an experiment
“The spray guards covered too little of the wheel. I was quite sceptical and imagined that we wouldn’t see important results.”
The FIA has been busy working away on a new solution to a problem that has plagued F1 since its inception following its 2023 failed test. Wet weather always impacts races, the most notorious in recent memory being the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, featuring just three laps of racing, all behind the Safety Car due to the atrocious conditions.
Taking lessons from the 2023 attempt, F1’s governing body’s new solution features a far more aggressive design. Tombazis elaborated on the complexity of the initiative. He said while the primary focus was to improve visibility and running in wet conditions, the aerodynamic performance of the cars could not be impacted:
“Having started this project towards the end of last year, and done quite a lot of CFD simulations, we did understand quite soon that it was not quite as simple as just put something on, off you go, and you’re done,” he said.
“We didn’t want to lose too much performance of the cars and mess up the aerodynamics too much. Although some of it is inevitable.
“And the actual aerodynamic load on these big mudguards or whatever you call them, if you have a complete cover, that would have quite high dynamic load. And therefore their support on the uprights would have to be fairly robust to not fly off at 300km/h.”
Feature Image Credit: Autosport