FIA、2024年のフェラーリ新型リアウイング設計を承認

The FIA has given its initial approval to Ferrari's innovative rear‑wing concept, confirming its legality under the 2024 Formula 1 technical regulations. The design, which features a unique 270‑degree rotating slot‑gap mechanism, was tested by Lewis Hamilton during pre‑season running in Bahrain. Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has indicated the radical solution could be used in Grands Prix, pending further development and reliability checks.

Why it matters:

This ruling validates a significant aerodynamic innovation and signals the FIA's current permissive stance on drag‑reduction solutions. With new regulations aiming to improve racing by allowing more design freedom for overtaking aids, such approvals could lead to a wider variety of competitive concepts across the grid, potentially shaking up the aerodynamic development race.

The details:

• The radical design differs from a standard Drag Reduction System (DRS). Instead of simply opening a flap, the entire slot‑gap section rotates through 270 degrees to create an opening, functioning more like an aircraft wing to generate lift and drastically reduce drag.
• Ferrari tested two versions in Bahrain: the new rotating design and a more conventional DRS‑style opening. The team reverted to the conventional design after initial runs with the radical concept.
• FIA Single‑Seater Technical Director Nikolas Tombazis explicitly stated the governing body has "encouraged solutions that reduce drag" for 2024, which is why stricter DRS‑gap limits from 2023 were not maintained.
• Tombazis confirmed the FIA's position, stating, "the Ferrari solution, we believe, is okay," providing crucial regulatory clarity for the team and its rivals.

What's next:

The approval clears a major regulatory hurdle, but the wing's race debut depends on Ferrari's confidence in its reliability and performance gains under all conditions.

• Other teams will now analyze the concept and may develop their own interpretations, leading to potential copycat designs or alternative innovations within the new regulatory freedom.
• Its use could become a strategic variable, deployed on high‑speed circuits where minimizing drag is paramount for overtaking and defending.