Ferrari is not afraid of the Sprint Race format. Despite having only one free practice session available, the SF-23 in Austria will feature two significant updates. The new front wing joins the updated floor, now in its fifth version. The Prancing Horse has already tested the upgrades during the Fiorano filming day earlier this week, but the race debut will be the best opportunity to see them in action.
New floor: it’s the fifth version
The floor is the most important component of the ground-effect Formula 1 cars, and it is the area where Ferrari focuses most on development. After the version presented initially, the SF-23 received a first update in Jeddah, followed by another one in Miami. In Barcelona, the fourth specification made its debut, which has now been replaced by the fifth version seen in Austria.
Ferrari has simplified the geometries once again, seemingly going back on their previous steps.
Any modifications to the Venturi channel entry section are minimal and not noticeable from the outside. However, the new upper contour of the floor edge wing, the external vertical partition at the entrance of the floor, is evident. The outer edge of the floor itself is now significantly simplified. The detached knife-like profile from the main body has disappeared, incorporating everything into a single component with a much straighter contour. Additionally, at the rear, Ferrari has moved the supporting strut forward, seeking a better compromise between floor stiffness and deformation and obstruction of aerodynamic flows.
The main objective of the development at Ferrari is to improve the compromise between performance, balance, and sensitivity to ride height variations. Not least, Maranello is working to manage porpoising, which has caused the SF-23 to bounce in high-speed corners. The impression from the outside is that Ferrari has simplified the floor geometry again, as if the previous developments had mitigated the flaws of the Red car, allowing the designers to push for absolute performance. However, these are interpretations based on pure observation without the support of fluid dynamics analysis. Only the behavior of the SF-23 on the track will provide a clearer understanding of the influence of the latest updates.
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In Austria, the new front wing is also present
The SF-23 will race at the Red Bull Ring with a new front wing as well. The changes to the wing itself are also significant, influencing the aerodynamics downstream of the car. It is important to highlight that the new wing aims to correct the management of turbulence generated by the front wheels and their impact on the performance of the floor. Most likely, the front wing and the floor are conceived as a unified package, once again demonstrating the tremendous efforts made in Maranello to climb the ranks.
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