Ferrari's radical rear wing design draws weight concerns

Ferrari's innovative 'upside down' rear wing design has been flagged as potentially too heavy by Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who suggests this is why rival teams have not pursued a similar concept. The design, which sees the flap rotate through 270 degrees when the active aerodynamics are engaged, was tested by Lewis Hamilton but only used in one practice session before Ferrari reverted to a standard configuration. While the FIA has deemed the concept legal, its practicality for race use remains in question.

Why it matters:

In Formula 1's relentless pursuit of marginal aerodynamic gains, radical innovations can define a competitive edge. However, every design is a complex trade-off between performance and weight. Ferrari's exploration of a unique rear wing mechanism highlights the team's aggressive development philosophy, but Bearman's warning underscores a fundamental engineering challenge: a brilliant aerodynamic idea can be undone if it adds too much mass to the car, negating any potential lap time benefit.

The details:

• Ferrari's design features an 'upside down' flap that rotates a full 270 degrees when opening and closing, a stark contrast to the conventional DRS-style opening used by nine other teams.
• Haas driver Oliver Bearman, who saw the wing in action behind Lewis Hamilton's car, praised its innovation but immediately identified weight as a critical drawback, stating, "it is heavy as well."
• Bearman revealed that most teams, including Haas, had considered such a design but ultimately opted against it due to the inherent compromises involved.
• The design was only run during the Thursday morning practice session, with Ferrari switching back to a standard wing for the remainder of the weekend's running.
• Team Principal Fred Vasseur was evasive when questioned about the wing's future, only confirming it could appear at select grands prix.

What's next:

The concept's fate hinges on Ferrari's internal analysis of the trade-offs between its aerodynamic potential and the mass penalty. While innovative, it must prove it offers a net performance gain to justify a race debut. Vasseur's non-committal stance suggests the team is still evaluating its viability. If the weight issue cannot be engineered out, this radical idea may remain a fascinating but unused footnote in Ferrari's 2024 development story, as the grid largely continues with more conventional, and crucially lighter, solutions.