Ferrari abandoned a fresh update for its Formula 1 challenger over the course of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend – one that might have gone unnoticed with many.
The Scuderia has certainly been at the forefront of experimentation with some radical quirks on its SF-26 already this year.
In pre-season testing in Bahrain, the car featured a flap mounted on top of its exhaust that sparked questions about its apparent benefits.
And then came its heavily talked-about ‘flip’ rear wing – also known as the ‘Macarena’ wing – which debuted for a five-lap cameo.
It returned for FP1 in Shanghai, but was then swiftly shelved before Sprint Qualifying and did not reappear over the weekend.
But there was a much more subtle update that the team opted for, which also lasted a lot longer.
This was in the form of winglets that appeared at the base of the halo, which, according to its explanation in the FIA document for upgrades pre-FP1, was not “event specific, it simply returns a small aerodynamic load benefit.”
It is thought that the winglets were to increase airflow to maximise performance, therefore providing an additional energy efficiency.
Whereas the ‘Macarena’ wing only effectively lasted just one hour of usage in Shanghai, the winglets lasted across Friday and half of Saturday, when it was on both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s cars in the Sprint Race.
But between that and qualifying for the Grand Prix, the winglets disappeared, and did not feature in qualifying, and therefore, nor the Grand Prix.
Legal Halo addition removed by Ferrari after Sprint
According to The Race, a senior Ferrari source had speculated that the winglets were perhaps “borderline” in terms with a possibility of teams protesting post-Grand Prix.
It is not known whether the removal of the winglets had been down to FIA intervention, or whether it was down to the extreme possibility that a team – or teams – may have swiftly made its aspersions known.
What is known is that discussions between the FIA and Ferrari took place, and that, given that the advantage it was thought to bring was so minimal, that it was agreed that they would be removed.
But, given that both Hamilton and Leclerc’s cars were passed scrutineering without any issues, a pre-emptive complaint by a team may be the catalyst.
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