Ferrari took advantage of its filming day in Monza this Wednesday to run Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc with the latest version of its highly anticipated “Macarena” rear wing.
Read more Stefano Domenicali: Kimi Antonelli is the champion all of Italy was waiting for
This session comes in a particular context, marked by a five-week break in the Formula 1 calendar after the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix.
Like most teams, the Scuderia is actively preparing an evolution package for the Miami Grand Prix in ten days (May 1-3).
Compliant or not?
The objective of this run — limited by regulation to 200 km and carried out with Pirelli demonstration tires — is to obtain data in real conditions to validate the aerodynamic choices before their introduction in the race.
The “Macarena” rear wing is a central element of this development. Initially introduced during winter testing in Bahrain then seen in China, this innovative concept revealed aerodynamic balance problems in Shanghai, due to lack of time to optimize it.
Read more More than 800 hp for the fourth generation of Formula E: a giant leap towards what future?
A second issue has since emerged: regulatory compliance. The activation system of the mobile element must be refined to comply with the rule requiring closure in less than 0.04 seconds, a critical parameter for the legality of the device.
An original novelty
Initially, this day in Monza was mainly intended to analyze the behavior of the powertrain and energy management on a circuit very sensitive to power, with a view to the Italian Grand Prix in September. But with the evolution of the program, it becomes a key test for several components, especially this rear wing, which Ferrari considers decisive for reducing the gap with its rivals from Miami.
In a context where every opportunity to run is precious, Ferrari seeks to maximize the exploitation of this window, while keeping its work as confidential as possible, a sign that the potential gains linked to this evolution could be significant.
Let’s bet that if the test proves positive, the Scuderia could already use its fatal weapon in Miami next week or at least validate its effectiveness during free practice, even if these will be limited to a single session in Florida due to the Sprint.
Read more Aston Martin in crisis: Honda warns that the solution will not be immediate