That is the question… on the minds of many team principals.
McLaren look set to take with them an F-duct spec low downforce rear-wing as well as a non F-duct version to the Italian circuit. If they opt to run without the system, it will be the first time this season.
Whilst Ferrari confirmed to Autosport that the rear-wing stalling device will be on their cars.
“I have to say that at the moment the F-duct will stay on the car for Monza,” team principal, Stefano Domenicali said.
At the other end of the table, Renault’s newly debuted system, which has been praised by Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov for working supremely well, is likely to be ditched for the next race.
“Monza will be quite a tricky race. It is a completely different downforce level track and I most probably will not have the F-duct there,” the Pole said in Belgium.
The case against the system is down to the track layout. Monza is basically four long straights connected by a few corners. This would seem perfect territory for a device which reduces drag on the straights, thus increasing top speed.
However, all the teams will introduce a low downforce package which is unlikely to be seen at any other race.
This negates any benefit provided by the F-duct because the rear-wing will be set to a very low angle, providing as little downforce as needed, with maximum top-speed.
The case for the system is that it will allow the teams to run ever so slightly more downforce through the corners, providing better grip, with the F-duct balancing it out on the straights, although it could result in a lower top speed than not running the system.
The teams will likely use Friday’s practice sessions to experiment with the system and without.
