27 February 2023 , 18:11
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Ferrari have asserted that the FIA has made it "crystal clear" that its front wing design is legal for the upcoming Formula 1 season.
The Scuderia was one of the last teams to show off their new design, debuting the SF-23 on Valentine's Day. Fans were treated to a live demonstration of the car on the team's Fiorano test track, but even that did not distract people from noticing what Ferrari had done with their front wing.
Promotional photos showed the use of slot gap separators on the front wing of the car. But eyebrows were not raised simply by their presence, but by their shape which increases outwash – pushing air to the sides of the car.
Diverting airflow in such a way is something the FIA is not keen on and wanted to stamp out, as much as they could, when this generation of technical regulations was put into force. That's why Mercedes were told they could not use a similar design in Austin last year.
The FIA's reasoning for that was that the rules stated that the "primary" function of the slot gap separators must be for structural reasons rather than for aerodynamic benefits. Mercedes backed down because of it, but the rules changed this winter to give more leeway in this area.
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So Ferrari seized the opportunity and incorporated the outwash-creating separators into their front wing design for the SF-23. And team principal Frederic Vasseur has explained that his team was sure to check its legality with the FIA prior to doing so.
The vanes connecting the top two flaps on the front wing of the new Ferrari SF-23 car caught the eye (Scuderia Ferrari)"When we launched the car with this kind of parts, we were sure to have a discussion with the FIA," the Frenchman told reporters. "For them, it was crystal clear that it was okay. The emotion of the other teams, I don't care.
"It's the game of F1. Each year at test one you have this story about a winglet or this one [car part]. In one week's time, we will talk about something else."
It remains to be seen whether any other teams will follow Ferrari's lead now that the legality of the separators has become more clear. But Alpine technical chief Matt Harman made it clear that not every team will do so as it is a "concept specific" part of the aero package.
He said: "We've had a look a few times at those. I think you may see them on our car, you may not. We will decide. The clarification of the regulation there is quite clear. It's clear that you can do them, and we will decide whether we do them or not. And maybe I'll let you know when they're coming."