The first wet race with the new cars could take place in Miami, a scenario that would involve numerous technical differences compared to normal conditions. In case of rain, the regulations restrict the use of active aerodynamics for safety reasons, increasing the risk of excessive wear on the floor. The performance of the electric part of the power unit is also reduced, potentially complicating overtaking.
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Partial active aerodynamics
The first major difference in case of rain is the limitation of active aerodynamics. On the wet, cars can only open the front wing, in order to maintain sufficient stability at the rear. The activation zones are also different from those valid for dry conditions. In Miami, these correspond to the start/finish straight and the back straight in the third sector, while the central straight, with its bends, must be tackled entirely with wings closed.
Inevitably, the partial use of active aerodynamics increases energy consumption and penalizes cars with higher aerodynamic drag even more. Furthermore, with wings closed, cars generate more downforce on the straight and tend to be pressed to the ground. Teams will therefore have to be careful not to exceed the maximum allowed wear for the plank under the floor, which this year has been doubled from 1 to 2 mm.
Limited electric
The scenario of a wet race also involves a series of restrictions on the use of the electric part. The power and torque of the MGU-K are limited and must follow delivery curves described in a document provided to the teams, recently modified during the April meetings. The race direction also disables the Boost button, the mode that normally provides up to 150 kW of extra electric power. The overtaking mode remains available, albeit with a different power curve than the one valid in dry conditions.
