Ferrari is testing new ‘splash guards’ on their race cars, on behalf of the FIA. The devices are an attempt to prevent excess spray from impacting driver visibility during races. The photos are from a test conducted Ferrari’s private track, Fiorano. Arthur Leclerc, the baby brother of Ferrari F1 pilot Charles Leclerc, experimented with two different spec splash guards, while Ferrari reserve driver Ollie Bearman drove behind to check the levels of visibility.
The amount of spray produced by F1 cars has long been an issue for the series, with drivers complaining about a lack of visibility. The problem was so bad at the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix that the race was called after the first lap; a travesty that F1 hopes these initiatives will prevent from ever happening again. If the results are positive enough, it’s only a matter of time until we see cars like the experimental Red Bull X2010 on the grid, complete with its canopy and pontoon fenders.
The internet is having a field day with the testing photos.
Someone is really going to have to jazz-up the look of these fenders!