In recent days, Scuderia Ferrari tested mudguards, which are devices designed by the FIA with the intention of reducing the amount of water kicked up by the cars in wet track conditions.
Single-seaters too complex
As shown by a video posted on X by a user, the spray guards do not seem to be capable of achieving their intended purpose.
Why would this supposed solution not work? Bryson Sullivan, an aerospace engineer and motorsport enthusiast, explained it perfectly.
Here are his comments, shared on his X profile: “Further images of the spray pattern created by the wheel cover prototypes show that the water trail is much wider with the mudguards than without them.” – he pointed out.
“This implies that the airflow of the car itself is responsible for most of the spray, not the tires,” he concluded.
In short, if the FIA wants to solve this clear visibility problem on wet tracks, it will be forced to significantly modify the concepts of the entire single-seater.
This means that – very likely – exactly what all fans do not want will happen: it will become increasingly complicated to complete races in adverse weather conditions.
Further visuals of the spray pattern created by the prototype wheel covers, the wake being so much wider with them than without them is my main takeaway. That and the fact that the airflow of the car itself is responsible for so much of the spray, not the tyres.
Credit: Varryx pic.twitter.com/fBTnZmgP5X
— Bryson Sullivan 🇺🇲 (@NaturalParadigm) May 10, 2024
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