Ferrari has completed a test of two different tyre guard concepts aimed at reducing spray from Formula One cars in wet conditions.
On Thursday at its Fiorano test facility the Italian team tested solutions which covered the front and rear tyres.
One concept was solid, blocking the view of the tyres underneath completely, with holes at the front of the tyre, while the other contained spoke-like holes across the design.
Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman and Arthur Leclerc, brother of Ferrari driver Charles, took part in the test.
It continues the governing FIA’s push to find a solution to improve running in wet conditions.
F1 cars throw out a huge amount of spray in the wet due to their designs, which has created situations where the FIA’s event stewards are reluctant to start or restart races, or allow them to continue, in heavy rain due to safety concerns caused by a lack of visiblity.
There have been notable examples, such as the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, where two laps were completed behind the Safety Car before the race was cut short due to the conditions being too bad.
Mercedes and McLaren tested a different spray guard concept at Silverstone last year, although the FIA said the initial results suggested the tested concept made little difference.
It is understood that the Ferrari concepts tested this week covered more of the wheels than the one tested in 2023.
Source: www.espn.com