Ferrari reveal striking new look in Barcelona

Ferrari show off halo-mounted mirrors in Barcelona

Originally written by Joas van Wingerden. This version is a translation.

Thursday 10 May 2018 14:28

Ferrari are the first team to have taken advantage of the ability to mount rear-view mirrors on their car's halo, revealing a new look for the Spanish Grand Prix. Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen look set to go out with the new-look kit during the race weekend in Barcelona.

It was confirmed last months that teams would be permitted to move rear-view mirrors from the car's chassis to the halo in a bid to improve drivers' visibility over the huge wings that modern-day F1 cars are equipped with.

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Ferrari's design also includes an aerodynamic winglet next to the mirror, which could come under scrutiny across the weekend.

"I'm sure that when a team comes forward and says we want to mount it [the mirror] here, it is because they feel it's going to be a bit better aerodynamically, and that includes halo mounting," the FIA official Nikolas Tombazis said of the new mirrors' legality.

"It is our responsibility to make sure the rules are specific enough and we hope to make improvements also in the future to make sure the mirrors achieve their real function, which is to be able to see out the back, and to stop them being used for aerodynamic purposes.

"As long as there's a big device somewhere in the middle of the air, teams will always worry about its aerodynamic effect, so it's our responsibility to regulate it properly."