The FIA has revealed more details about plans to install wheel arches on Formula 1 cars in wet conditions to help reduce splashing water.

The international motorsport federation announced last month that it was going to start some trials with mudguards to help in races with rainfall. With the lack of visibility due to splashing water being the main limiting factor in heavy rain, covering the wheels is a possible solution. Work is already under way to evaluate the idea and it is hoped that prototype versions of the wheel covers could be ready to race as early as the second half of next season, although 2024 is much more likely.

Avoiding repetition

Nikolas Tombazis, FIA technical director, explained some of the background to the idea. For instance, the wings will be deployed about three times a season because they don't want those parts to suddenly have to be put on every time there is a drop of rain. The Greek cites the ultimate goal of avoiding a repeat of the rained-out 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, where only a few laps could be driven behind the safety car because the conditions were unsuitable for racing. The issue has also moved up the priority list following the delay during this year's Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka due to bad weather.

Improvement

The FIA has already started running some computer simulations of the benefits of the wings, but said it is no easy task to evaluate how visibility was affected by splashing water rather than the tyres. Tombazis said to expect some kind of improvement of maybe 50 per cent and also clarified that the mudguards would remain on the cars for an entire race once fitted. So the fitting or removal would have to be before a race or during a red flag. If a race starts very wet and gets dry, they would stay on.