Ferrari tests fender-like rain spray guards

Ferrari tested new spray guards on its Formula One cars this week as the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) seeks to address visibility issues on wet surfaces.

The tests took place at Ferrari's own Fiorano circuit, where Arthur Leclerc (brother of current Ferrari F1 driver Charles) drove last year's race car with the experimental spray guards and Ferrari's F1 reserve driver, Oliver Bearman followed in the team's 2024 F1 car.

The spray guards are essentially fenders added to an open-wheel F1 car. It has two holes in the front, but is completely open in the rear. According to the pictures, two versions were tested: one with solid sides and the other with spoked sides. Even with the spray guards in place, the photos show that the lead car sprays a significant amount of spray.

As noted by Motorsport.com, the test was sponsored by the FIA, which is considering spray guards as a solution to improve visibility for following cars during rainy circuit driving. Even if there is not enough water on the track for hydroplaning to be a concern, the spray can limit the driver's visibility, potentially causing sessions to be canceled or leading to crashes.

An early version of the spray guard was tested last year on a rainy Silverstone circuit with Mercedes-Benz AMG reserve driver Mick Schumacher. McLaren's Oscar Piastri drove behind Schumacher to test visibility. No photos of that test have been released, but according to Motorsport.com, 3D images released by the FIA showed a design that covered less area over the wheels than the spray guards tested at Fiorano.

The F1 cars have already undergone a radical visual overhaul for 2022, but the spray guards could change their appearance even more, at least on rainy days.

Similarly, F1 adopted the Halo cockpit protection system a few years ago to improve crash safety.