Identification of machined metal component found at La Source after the 2026 Belgian GP

[Nitroflieger]

Hello everyone,

I am trying to identify a damaged machined metal component that I found at Spa-Francorchamps after the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix.

After the Formula 1 race, when the circuit was opened to spectators, I found the component in the gravel trap on the outside of the exit of Turn 1, La Source.

The component may already have been lying there since an earlier session, so it does not necessarily originate from a current Formula 1 car. Formula 1, Formula 2, Formula 3, Porsche Supercup and a demonstration involving historic Formula 1 cars had used the circuit during the weekend.

Component details:

Approximate dimensions: 130 × 65 mm
Thickness: approximately 5 mm
Marked weight: 125 g
Four countersunk mounting holes
Hole spacing, centre to centre: approximately 100 × 50 mm
Marking or drawing number: 611678239E02-05-P0
Yellow handwritten marking, apparently 239 - 125
Machined recess on the rear side
Additional small metal block or bracket attached to the rear with two screws
The main component appears to be black-anodised aluminium, although the material has not yet been definitively confirmed
One corner is broken off
Part of a white livery graphic or sponsor marking remains on the front

Porsche Motorsport has already examined the photographs. They could not identify it as a Porsche component and explained that the number does not correspond to their usual Motorsport part-number formats. A standard Porsche Motorsport part therefore appears unlikely.

I have also contacted Officina Caira, the organiser of the historic Formula 1 demonstration, but I have not yet received a reply.

I would be interested to know whether anyone recognises:

the component itself or its likely function,
the part-number format,
the rear mounting or locating arrangement,
the remaining white livery graphic,
or a possible location on a current or historic Formula 1 car.

My initial thoughts were that it might be a mounting plate, retaining plate, access cover or part of a bodywork attachment, but this is only speculation.

Photographs of both sides are attached below.

Any help from engineers, race mechanics, restorers, photographers or people familiar with historic Formula 1 machinery would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Sven

[ispano6]

That is the "an" from the logo of the sunglass company Ray-Ban.
Ferrari has had Rayban logos on the car since 2016. It could be Ferrari, but might not be a Ferrari F1 car since most Rayban logos were on the larger body shell components like the engine cover over red areas. It appears that the number of the part aligns with Ferrari's catalogue prefix and parts code: 2026 Ferrari SF-26 (Project 678) within the 611678239E02-05-P0 so it could very well be ballast 239 at location5 parts version 0 of the 125g ballast. E02 is for Evoluzione and 05 is the placement, and p0 is the version.

Here are the F1 teams that had Rayban sponsorship previously.
Prost Grand Prix – 2001
Brawn GP – 2009
Mercedes GP – 2010–2011
Bar Honda – 2006–2008

Here you go.
Update: it looks like it's from the front wing right mainplane. You'll have to zoom in on the photo to see the 4 screw holes.

[Nitroflieger]

Thank you very much for the hint — it appears to be a real bullseye!

The number on the part seems to read:
611678239E02-05-P0

The sequence 678 matching Ferrari’s internal project code for the SF-26 is a very strong indication, especially since 239 also appears handwritten on the part.
Does anyone know whether the remaining sections of the part number can be decoded further?
For example, could 611, E02, 05 or P0 identify the exact assembly, specification, revision or production status?

I would also be very interested to know whether the number could be assigned to a particular car or driver — for example, whether one of the codes identifies Leclerc’s or Hamilton’s car.


Thanks again for the excellent clue and for any further information

[ispano6]

Thank you very much for the hint — it appears to be a real bullseye!

The number on the part seems to read:
611678239E02-05-P0

The sequence 678 matching Ferrari’s internal project code for the SF-26 is a very strong indication, especially since 239 also appears handwritten on the part.
Does anyone know whether the remaining sections of the part number can be decoded further?
For example, could 611, E02, 05 or P0 identify the exact assembly, specification, revision or production status?

I would also be very interested to know whether the number could be assigned to a particular car or driver — for example, whether one of the codes identifies Leclerc’s or Hamilton’s car.


Thanks again for the excellent clue and for any further information

Ferrari's Gestione Sportiva (GeS) part numbering convention:
611 is the prefix that identifies the structural metallic sub-group (machined brackets, ballast plates, and structural metallic inserts)
628 is the Internal project code for the 2026 chassis
239 is drawing number
E02 stands for Evoluzione or evolution #2 (meaning 2nd iteration of the development of the part)
05 stands for variant, thickness, slot-index
Mass / Thickness Step Index: Ballast plates machined in incremental thicknesses/weights (e.g., -01, -02, -03, etc.). Here, -05 identifies the specific thickness or weight assigned to 125g mass. increment -04 likely would be 100g, 03 75g, 02 50g, 01 25g
PO (not a zero) Piastra Orizzontale (Plate - Horizontal Bulkhead Plane)
The aerodynamic term used in Maranello to differentiate between horizontal and vertical plates (Piastra Verticale (Vertical Plate / Rib)

Maybe someone with a keen eye or footage of the weekend can find who's car suffered damage to lose that part? Hamilton? The part itself doesn't seem to have any indicator of which car number it belongs to. If contact with Russell dislodged the cover, it's likely it came off later and not immediately? Maybe subsequent curb riding? This plate doesn't flex like the rest of the front wing can since it's a solid metal piece. Torsional or vibrational loads might have led to it popping off.

[Nitroflieger]

Many thanks again — your explanation of the Ferrari GeS part-numbering convention appears to fit the component extremely well.

A closer photograph confirms that the marking reads:
611678239E02-05-PO
125 g

The numbers 239 – 125 are also written by hand on the part. The complete assembly weighs approximately 270 g, so the engraved 125 g may refer only to the removable ballast insert or to the specified ballast configuration rather than the total weight of the complete carrier assembly.
There may also be a possible connection to Hamilton’s car. Post-race reports indicate that the more serious damage to his SF-26 was on the left-hand side, and there is a photograph from parc fermé showing him carrying a broken section of the front wing after the finish.
Does anyone have a clear photograph of Hamilton’s Ferrari immediately after the race, particularly the left-hand side of the front wing, the floor edge, or the underside of the damaged assembly?
A photograph taken in parc fermé, during scrutineering, or while the car was being returned to the garage might reveal where this horizontal ballast plate was originally fitted or where it was missing.
Any further help identifying the exact mounting position — or establishing whether the component can be linked specifically to car
number 44 — would be greatly appreciated.


https://www.gettyimages.de/detail/nachr ... 2286758670

[ispano6]

Does anyone have a clear photograph of Hamilton’s Ferrari immediately after the race, particularly the left-hand side of the front wing, the floor edge, or the underside of the damaged assembly?
A photograph taken in parc fermé, during scrutineering, or while the car was being returned to the garage might reveal where this horizontal ballast plate was originally fitted or where it was missing.
Any further help identifying the exact mounting position — or establishing whether the component can be linked specifically to car
number 44 — would be greatly appreciated.

I'm fairly certain this is from the RIGHT hand side front wing mainplane. Not anywhere else on the chassis.
It is the only place the Rayban logo is on the car and it's orientation indicates with "an" that it is the front right wing mainplane. It does appear that the logo placement is shifted from this PR photo's ballast plate cover.

The left side has Ray on it:

[Nitroflieger]

the left side of the front wing in the direction of travel

https://www.directupload.eu/file/d/9355 ... 4b_jpg.htm

[Nitroflieger]

A small update to keep this investigation going:

So far, the marking appears to read:

611678239E02-05-PO – 125 g

The explanations for 611, 678, 239, E02, 05 and PO seem plausible, but it would be great if anyone with knowledge of Ferrari’s Gestione Sportiva numbering system could confirm or further decode them. I have not been able to find any public contact details for Ferrari GeS, so any additional information from former team members, suppliers or people familiar with Ferrari drawings would be very helpful.

I am also still looking for clear photographs of Lewis Hamilton’s damaged SF-26 at Spa, especially:

immediately after the race,
in parc fermé or during scrutineering,
from underneath the front wing,
or showing the damaged left-hand side in detail.

The available race photographs clearly show damage to Hamilton’s front wing, but unfortunately not whether this specific horizontal ballast plate was already missing.

Does anyone have unpublished photos, high-resolution images or video frames from Spa that might help identify the exact mounting position or link the part to car #44?

Thank you again for all the information so far.