During the second winter test session in Bahrain, Mercedes has completely revised the configuration of its mirrors as part of the more global overhaul of its pontoon concept. This raised questions from the competition, because some felt that certain elements of these mirrors (in particular the supports) were primarily used for aerodynamic purposes, which must not be the case according to the Technical Regulations.
This subject was at the center of one of the discussions of the F1 Technical Advisory Committee, which met this week. It seems that the result of these discussions was that Mercedes’ solution was indeed considered to comply with the letter of the regulations. Nevertheless, Ferrari believes that the FIA must go into more detail and if necessary publish a technical directive in order to indicate to the teams what is or is not allowed.
Scuderia director Mattia Binotto believes this situation is close to what his team experienced in 2018, when the mirrors were fitted to the Halo for aerodynamic reasons but had to be removed following a few races. following an intervention by the FIA. “No one questions the legality of Mercedes’ solutions”he first explained.
“But in 2018 we installed mirrors connected to the Halo, a solution which was legal as it was written in the rules. However, two races later, a new technical directive from the FIA forced us to remove them because they had a ‘non-incidental’ aerodynamic influence. This is the principle I insist on. The FIA has the authority to clarify, and I am curious to see how the situation will develop in this case. More than appeals, I wait for a clarification.”
The Italian-Swiss technician especially wants to understand how aggressive it is possible to be in the field of mirrors in order to better manage the flow of air. The current rules theoretically limit any benefit on this plan to a simple aspect “accessory” to the primary function of the mirrors and their pillars.
Binotto to add: “The FIA has always specified that the mirror support must only have a structural function, and that if it has an aerodynamic influence, this must only be ‘accessory’. If this has been the principle put in before by the FIA in the past, I think it must be the same now and in the future. There is no reason to change your mind today.”
“Regarding the amount of mirrors, the FIA has in the past sent out technical guidelines outlining the basic concept. I believe that certain solutions seen on these cars do not have an unintended influence but have a clear aerodynamic purpose, so I believe they are contrary to what the FIA has stated before.”
Asked if Ferrari was going to press the FIA directly for a clarification, Binotto replied: “It’s not an easy discussion. It involves the 10 teams, plus the FIA and Formula 1; therefore 12 different realities. Each team will try to bring water to its own mill. The discussion has already started , but I don’t know yet what decisions will be made.”
With Roberto Chinchero and Jonathan Noble
