Rumors about the new Ferrari are circulating. While Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz are battling Mercedes for the second spot in the Constructors’ Championship behind Red Bull, there are also previews of what the red car for the next year will look like.
Enrico Cardile, the technical director of the chassis department, admitted that the project for the 676 model will represent a clear departure from the SF-23. Fred Vasseur, the team principal shaping the Racing Department according to his principles, has also made it clear that Ferrari will explore new development paths, although the top leadership team essentially remains the same as those who oversaw both the F1-75 and SF-23.
Indications suggest that the rear of the car will need to be more extreme than the current design, hinting that Ferrari might follow Red Bull’s lead in adopting a push-rod rear suspension layout. This would avoid interference with the floor, and raising the internal components should allow for an even narrower gearbox casing.
Furthermore, following the idea of revising concepts in Maranello, some are betting on a switch to a pull-rod front suspension layout, as the predominant Formula 1 cars today (Red Bull and McLaren) have adopted this configuration.
According to what Motorsport.com reports, Ferrari will not change the suspension layouts in 2024, remaining faithful to a push-rod front and pull-rod rear suspension, with the awareness that the linkages will be completely redesigned. In Maranello, they understand that it’s not necessary to discard the experience gained over the years, but it is crucial to adapt the systems to the requirements of a ground-effect car that aims to keep the floor as close to the asphalt as possible and the “tub” in a stable position to avoid sudden load changes that can have adverse effects on tire wear.
Therefore, be prepared for significantly inclined arms to favor anti-dive at the front and anti-squat at the rear, but not for changes in suspension layouts. So, where will the lines of change lead? According to the information gathered by Motorsport Italy, the Scuderia is working extensively on a completely new chassis. A totally new design, following some key concepts that made the RB19 an unbeatable car.
First of all, the position of the lower intrusion cone will be reviewed, which currently negatively affects the aerodynamic shape, creating a blockage where others have managed to create a deep undercut, useful for channeling airflow towards the sidepods.
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But the novelties will also be seen in the front part of the chassis, which will no longer have a square section like the SF-23. Following the research direction exaggerated by Adrian Newey at Red Bull, the red car will also attempt to take on the appearance of a keel at the bottom, with a clear intention to reduce the frontal area and, consequently, resistance to forward motion.
Moreover, it is not excluded that the car’s layout will change slightly with the intention of moving the cockpit slightly backward so that the sidepods are not affected by the harmful turbulence from the front wheels, thereby slightly shortening the transmission box. This is the direction that James Allison with Mercedes is also following, after Lewis Hamilton complained about a driving position too far forward for two consecutive years.
Therefore, it is easy to predict that there will be a convergence towards Red Bull’s solutions, although Adrian Newey has already admitted, in an interview with Giorgio Piola, that the RB20 will represent another step forward compared to the car dominating the 2023 season, breaking all records.
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