Ten races remain in a championship with an already determined outcome. With Red Bull having already secured both world titles, the competition faces the familiar dilemma: continue developing the current car until the end of the year or redirect all resources towards the 2024 project. A question of philosophies, but also of priorities. While it’s true that with stable regulations, any gains in 2023 will carry over to the next year, in some cases, bridging the gap from the top can only be achieved through a drastic change.
Stable regulations
The prominent porpoising issues experienced in 2022 led the FIA to amend the regulations mid-season for the current season. Changes to the floor encouraged teams to lower their ride heights, compelling them in some cases to develop a new concept. This won’t be the case for 2024, as the regulations will be identical to the current ones, barring any surprises. Regulatory stability encourages teams to bring updates until the end of the year, knowing that each gain can be transferred to the next car.
This is the case for Scuderia Ferrari, which is expected to introduce significant updates around Singapore and Suzuka, even though Vasseur has hinted that the chassis and transmission of the next Red car will be overhauled. However, not everyone shares the same approach. Alex Albon offers an alternative perspective: “Next year, the regulations will be the same. On paper, everything you bring to the car this year will be useful, as it all adds up. But if you want to change the characteristics and behavior of your car, it takes time. I think we’re doing the right thing by focusing all our attention on next year.”
Radical changes
Williams is a unique case. For years, the team has been grappling with balance and behavior issues in the car that have persisted across regulations. “We’ve had characteristic problems with our car for a few years now, even before I joined the team,” explains Alex Albon. “When we talk about the car, it’s something that keeps coming back, because the limitations remain the same.”
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To address such an issue, a rethink of the project is necessary. For those aiming for a revolution rather than an evolution of the current car in 2024, halting development in 2023 is necessary. “Look at McLaren: that’s the kind of leap we want to make,” comments Alex Albon. “Think about how long it took them to do it. They hardly brought updates throughout the season until Silverstone. It seems they worked on those changes for a year. Even Aston Martin sacrificed the entire previous year to make that leap during the winter. You need these long-term projects.”
The second half of the 2023 Formula One season is expected to be characterized by two development trends. Teams like Ferrari, which will introduce significant updates at least until October, are contrasted with teams that will save resources for 2024. Mercedes falls into this category, with Toto Wolff announcing that work on the W14 will primarily focus on the setup from now until the end of the year. The Brackley team, however, is not alone, as Red Bull, with its advantage in the standings, has long been focused on the successor to the RB19.
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