Today Maranello woke up with a little more noise than usual. The atmosphere is enlivened by the Prancing Horse’s Formula 1 Power Unit, mounted on the F1-75 and the SF-24 which took to the track on the home circuit. Development work is being carried out in Fiorano in collaboration with the FIA. Ferrari are testing a second version of the splash guards, which should make it easier to compete in extreme rain conditions.
Oliver Bearman is taking part in these tests, getting some mileage before his free practice at Imola in the Haas. He is present with another development driver, Arthur Leclerc, and Carlos Sainz.
AFTER AN INITIAL ‘FAILURE’ TEST, FERRARI TESTS A NEW VERSION OF THE SPLASH GUARDS
Last year, it was Mercedes who tested this spray-reducing device. The FIA has been pursuing a solution for some time that could facilitate the holding of sessions heavily affected by bad weather. Intermediate rubber is a product on which Pirelli has worked intensely, with good results in terms of performance and grip. The Full Wet, on the other hand, still doesn’t convince the teams on many aspects.
The main problem lies in the fact wet tyres produce too much spray. There are two solutions. The first is the introduction of a ‘Super Intermediate’, as defined by Mario Isola, or the development of devices like these splash guards.
The Silverstone test was not particularly positive. Mercedes saw negligible improvements with the splash guards used last year. Feedback and data were not as expected, but Tombazis‘ technical office has not discarded the idea.
Today, Ferrari is testing the new prototype with a program similar to the one done on English soil. The F1-75 is equipped with the new device, while the SF-24 (not yet in the ‘2.0’ version, which we will see tomorrow) is without it. The Fiorano track was artificially wetted, allowing the test to happen.
In addition to the work done for the FIA, this is also an opportunity for the drivers to train. The jewel of the FDA, Ollie Bearman, is preparing for his free practice sessions with Haas. After Jeddah and the Ferrari tests, he immediately had the opportunity to get back behind the wheel of a Formula 1 with the aim of earning a place for next year
Arthur Leclerc is instead involved in non-F1 projects and contributes to Ferrari’s work on the simulator. Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, will have the opportunity to do some last laps with the SF-24 “baseline”. This will also be useful for comparing the data in view of tomorrow.
