Ferrari forced to modify its new halo winglet design
The governing body, FIA told Ferrari on Saturday morning that it can’t run the new winglets mounted on the halo after the Spanish Grand Prix. The clampdown follows desperate voices from rival teams, questioning the legality of the new design.
In a recent technical directive, FIA gave permission to teams to mount their mirrors on the head protection device. Ferrari was the first team to capitalize on the new directive and introduced a very ambitious mirror design at Barcelona.
Ferrari’s configuration features a double-element structure, consisting of the mirror and a heavily curved winglet. They are attached with a rod, securing the necessary rigidity.
Rival teams were left shock by the speed Ferrari could react on the new directive and develop such a mirror concept in such a short space of time. They questioned the legality of Ferrari’s mirror configuration which prompted the FIA to launch an investigation. Ferrari indicated that the winglet it part of the mirror configuration and therefore its primary purpose can't be deemed as aerodynamic.
On Saturday morning, the FIA announced that Ferrari could keep its innovative concept for the remainder of the Spanish Grand Prix, but it has to dismantle the winglets from the Monaco round onward.
