Ferrari’s Technological Innovations Part 5: 1961 - Discovering Air as an Ally

Today's race cars are designed to maximize downforce for optimal performance. It’s incredible to think that before 1960, the potential of air resistance wasn't fully realized. In fact, early cars focused solely on reducing drag for maximum speed, neglecting the benefits downforce could provide in cornering. The last example of such ultra-aerodynamic cars was the Mercedes W196 R from 1954, streamlined and smooth like a bar of soap.

The 1954 Mercedes W196 R Streamliner, with covered wheels for better aerodynamic penetration.

Yet, the issues caused by excessive focus on aerodynamic penetration had been noted earlier: Ettore Bugatti, with his 1923 Tank, noticed the car lifted at the front at high speed. Poor Rosemayer was literally lifted off the track while attempting to break the speed record in his Auto Union in 1938.

The 1923 Bugatti Type 32 Tank was revolutionary for its time and represents one of the first attempts at aerodynamics in a race car.

At Ferrari, in early 1961, during tests on the Monza track for the 12 Hours of Sebring, it became evident that their sportscar, the 246 SP, built for aerodynamic efficiency, did not show significant lap time improvements. Engineer Chiti, Ferrari's technical director at the time, even created a shark-nose front for better air penetration. During testing, they accidentally discovered that running the car without its rear cover led to slower straight-line speeds but faster cornering.

Ferrari's early 1960s aerodynamic experiments on the 246 SP in preparation for the 12 Hours of Sebring. In this photo, the car features a Jaguar D-Type-style fin.

The spark was ignited: the lift generated at the front as air passed between the asphalt and the car’s underside also reduced rear-wheel grip. Thus began the development of a rear spoiler, as seen on the final 246 SP and the subsequent 248 SP models, to break the airflow and increase drivability.

Track testing led to the introduction of a rear spoiler that improved the car's handling. Pictured is the 1962 Ferrari 248 SP utilizing this solution.

A major step forward came with the 1962 24 Hours of Le Mans. New regulations required a full-width windshield, giving Ferrari a chance to experiment with airflow management. The Testa Rossa was redesigned with a structure behind the cockpit that appeared to be a roll bar, but it was actually an inverted wing (note: wings didn’t exist yet!). It controlled the turbulence generated by the windshield and created downforce for improved grip and stability. The team discovered how powerful this downforce was when they needed additional supports to withstand the aerodynamic forces. Phil Hill and Olivier Gendebien won the race, setting a lap record at over 204 km/h.

The 1962 Le Mans-winning Ferrari 330 TRI/LM with Hill and Gendebien, featuring a structure behind the cockpit that controlled turbulence and created downforce.

This new direction continued with the rear-mid-engine models. Enzo Ferrari had to abandon his belief that the engine should be in the front. The 250 LM, developed with Pininfarina using wind tunnel testing, debuted at the 1965 24 Hours of Le Mans and won. Its clean lines, truncated cockpit, and rear spoiler paved the way for a new generation of high-performance berlinettas.

The Le Mans-winning Ferrari 250 LM of 1965. Its sleek design and silhouette reflect the wind tunnel work with Pininfarina.