FERRARI’S SPECIAL SHOCK ABSORBER
Although the end result in Bahrain doesn’t accurately display the stiff level of competition it received from Red Bull, Ferrari appears to have turned the corner after a difficult past two seasons and began 2022 in swaggering style. It elected not to tinker too much with its F1-75 car between tests, and focused on getting more out of its package before introducing larger-scale developments.
One interesting aspect of the car is the small shock absorber situated within the front splitter structure ahead of the floor, which under the increased loading from the venturi tunnels means that the floor can take a bit of a battering. The FIA has allowed teams to introduce a limited amount of flexibility in this area to minimise damage when the car hits the floor, so Ferrari has introduced a small shock and lever system.
This cannot be used for any aerodynamic purpose, and may not be used to lift the splitter above the level of the floor as that would allow for a variable rideheight. Instead, it allows the splitter to return to its initial position after hitting the ground or after a kerb strike. This shock can move a maximum of 5mm under applied pressure.