F-ducts back on teams’ agendas for Turkey

Sauber removed the F-duct from its C29 for Monaco for safety reasons, the Swiss team’s boss has revealed.

Ferrari also decided not to run the downforce-spoiling concept in the Principality, but the Italian team argued that the device simply was not effective on the twisty streets.

But Peter Sauber said his team’s decision was for a different reason.

“I wanted my drivers to have both their hands on the steering wheel through the tunnel,” he is quoted by Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport.

“Ever since Karl Wendlinger had his accident there in 1994, I have respect for this place,” added Sauber.

Like Ferrari, Sauber’s system involves blocking an air inlet with the drivers’ hand.

The McLaren system is activated by the knee, but Lewis Hamilton acknowledged that the time advantage was just a few hundredths per lap in Monaco.

Ferrari’s system will be back on the F10 car in Turkey in two weeks.

“Our system did not work as desired in Barcelona,” confirmed team boss Stefano Domenicali.  “We are still fine-tuning it.”

The red cars were very fast in a straight line in Spain, but the system was also shedding downforce in the corners “when the system was not being activated”, the Italian admitted.

Red Bull will also begin experimenting with the concept in Turkey.

“We are doing the research and for sure at the next couple of races we will have a look at it, but we will only introduce it when it earns a place on the car,” Christian Horner told F1’s official website.

© RIF|GMM