The task was not easy: the design constraints were very limiting, so it is fair to say that the SF-23 should not be considered a B version but rather an Evo. Ferrari has laid its cards on the table in Barcelona to turn the 2023 Formula One season around, which did not have a brilliant start with only one podium in six races and 79 fewer championship points compared to last year.
The Maranello team has designed a car that is very fast in qualifying (although it has only secured one pole position with Charles Leclerc), but then shows significant disadvantages in the race. The Monegasque driver described the red car as “pointed” “…in the sense that the potential is at its peak, but as soon as you deviate a little, you lose too much performance.”
Yesterday at Montmelò, the SF-23 clocked a time of 1’14” in the qualifying simulation, while the race pace was around 1’19”-1’20”: when there is a difference of 5/6 seconds between the two configurations, it is evident that the red car is suited for a single lap and struggles when the pace is significantly slower.
The package of aerodynamic updates introduced in Spain should make the Ferrari less sensitive to minimal changes in variables that have previously put it in crisis due to an excessively narrow operating window: a gust of wind, a temperature increase or decrease, or refueling could disrupt the balance and trigger tire degradation, causing the car to suddenly lose performance.
The red car has changed its appearance: it’s less beautiful maybe. It shows that it is the product of extensive wind tunnel optimization, like a cut and sew garment. There is an attempt to move towards Red Bull’s construction philosophy, but it cannot be said that Ferrari has copied the RB19. Not at all: the orientation is more in line with Aston Martin and Alpine.
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And indeed, the Ferrari remains a hybrid car (in terms of aerodynamic choices) that tries to coexist with very different concepts. Upon closer inspection, the “fish tank” above the floor has not completely disappeared: the recess is still there, but it is much narrower in the portion of the sidepod adjacent to the cockpit. It originates from the periscope of the S-duct, although the airflow from below the radiator intake has been increased because there is a new inlet for fresh flow.
The “losses” that were generated by the hot air vents on the floor have been moved further back to create a less disturbed area: we have seen the asymmetric gills on the sides of the engine cover, but the additional vents at the rear of the bodywork are less noticeable. The attempt is quite evident: to move the hot flow higher to avoid influencing the beam wing, making it more efficient. The fluid dynamics inside the sidepods have been changed, following a trend that is being followed by many, as explained by Motorsport Italy.
The external part of the floor has become flat in the front section and then slopes down towards the bottom: even Ferrari, therefore, feeds the flow to be directed towards the diffuser. It is not coincidental that a slot has been opened in front of the rear wheel, which serves to fill the extractor.
Enrico Cardile’s engineers have also tried to streamline the floor beneath the radiator inlets: we cannot see a hollowed-out undercut like that of Red Bull and Aston Martin because there is a design constraint imposed by the lower anti-intrusion cone, which disrupts the flows in that area. Giorgio Piola’s images for Motorsport Italy show the commendable attempt to streamline the safety structure, narrowing the bodywork to create a channel that increases the flow over the floor, having widened the structure as much as possible.
The intention of Diego Tondi’s aerodynamicists was quite clear: to increase the energy brought to the floor, aiming for a car that is less sensitive to changes in ride height. Yesterday’s practice sessions indicated that Ferrari seems to have taken the right path: the long runs were considerably better than in the past, which is encouraging. However, the substantial package of modifications has brought back the issue of porpoising, the great enemy of ground-effect cars.
The Maranello team has taken every possible step to adapt the SF-23 (we didn’t see the rear suspension, which was parked before the deliberation, but it definitely existed). Now, it must not become a victim of bottoming out because, otherwise, what it has found positive may be lost by having to raise the SF-23 car.
It is not a fate unique to the red car, as we have seen several Formula 1 cars bouncing. We will discover in qualifying which among Ferrari, Aston Martin, and Mercedes has found the best solution for the final turn at Montmelò…
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