Here is the Ferrari in preparation for tomorrow’s Bahrain GP free practice: the F1-75 in the image of Giorgio Piola reveals a very interesting detail that usually remains well hidden: it is the shock absorber that the FIA has allowed the teams to mount under the body near the T-tray.
This is not an absolute novelty, because it was already talked about in 2013 on the Red Bull RB9, with different interpretations over time according to the changed rules dictated by the FIA.
With the introduction of the ground-effect single-seaters we have seen bottoms that tend to crawl on the asphalt in search of maximum aerodynamic load: one of the most critical points is once again that of the T-tray.
To prevent the splitter from breaking easily, the FIA has made it possible to control the flexions of the T-tray by even using a shock absorber to slow the return of the lip to its natural position, after contact with the track surface or a curb.
The technical commissioners carefully explained how it can work: if the tool were used to keep the splitter higher under the body, we would be faced with an illegal solution, because it would allow the car to lower the front even more, significantly increasing the downforce.
Technicians, on the other hand, can work on the opposite function: slowing the return of the splitter to a static position after it has deformed upwards by crawling on a bump in the track.
The idea is to prevent the T-tray from being damaged frequently by rubbing on the track and curbs.
It is for this reason that the FIA has allowed a certain degree of flexibility of the material: the scrutineers in check control a movement can be a maximum of 5 linear mm under a certain thrust.
Last year the use of torsion bars was enough, while with the ground effect single-seaters Ferrari preferred to introduce a real shock absorber. And it is not the only team to have taken this route: it is true that this tool costs some weight, but it is also true that the risk of damaging the splitter would be very high without the damper.
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