Belgian GP: Ferrari's aero experiments

Ferrari was prepared to endure a tough weekend at the engine-dominated tracks of Spa and Monza as Ferrari's Power Unit is massively down on power but still has rather high consumption and requires excessive cooling.

The team therefore tried different wings during Spa's three practices and finally opted for the higher downforce specification. It aided the drivers on the rain-soaked track during qualifying, but made their life difficult on race day during on-track duels against Mercedes-powered cars.

A new rear wing which was tested on Friday featured a main plane pointing more upwards to reduce drag. The mono-pillar didn't have a monkey seat fitted. The end planes featured just three slots instead of six as in Hungary.

The team also was able to run its ultra-tight engine cover which was first ever tested in Canada. Ferrari's cars can run with this cover only when the air temperature is under 26 degree Celsius because turbo and heat recovery system (MGU-H) suffer from excessive overheating.

The Maranello-based squad used four different front wings at Spa and one of them was tested for Monza. Kimi Raikkönen tried it for the first time over one single lap. It doesn't have any upper flaps so it reduces drag which also results in some loss of downforce. However it features two vertical fins which create reduced drag and help to channel air away from front tyres.

Ferrari was allowed to tweak the hardware of its engine. The technicians covered part of the exhaust with special paint to conserve heat and keep more energy flowing into the turbine.