F1 Testing 2023 – Ferrari tests new floor on last run of Carlos Sainz. Ferrari tests new floor on last run of Carlos.

The rumors circulating in the Formula 1 paddock regarding a new Ferrari floor that was tested during the final stages of the pre-season testing session at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir proved to be reliable. In fact, during the course of the last run, Carlos Sainz used a new specification in order to obtain data which will be compared with the other simulations carried out during the three-day test.

The difference with the floor used in the previous days is to be found in the tie rod. The latter has the task of preventing the floor from flexing excessively by providing support also against a possible porpoising phenomenon. The tie rod is therefore moved from the area located in the lower part of the sidepods near the rear, towards the floor edge wing. Carlos Sainz’s times set with this specification are difficult to compare with other lap time results recorded during the pre-season testing session. In fact, the laps completed were just a few and, moreover, various variables such as setup and fuel loads are unknown.

There may be several reasons for the different positioning of the tie rod. One of which concerns a possible excessive flexing encountered by the Maranello team on the floor edge wing. This would suggest the Italian side move the tie rod towards the area that flexes the most.

A further consideration concerns the non-visible part of the SF-23 floor. It is possible that the lower part of the floor is profiled in a different way than the specification used in the previous days. This would lead to a distribution of the generated load different from the previous one which could be a plausible explanation for the different positioning of the tie rod.

Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!