The 2020 Scuderia Ferrari car will have a new shorter and lighter carbon transmission box which will also imply a small reduction in wheelbase. The Cavallino technicians will increase the angle of the Rake setting and take advantage of the hydraulic suspension control to avoid the SF90’s braking instability, as reported by Motorsport Italy earlier today.
Increasing the downforce without affecting the aerodynamic efficiency. This is the key to the development of the 2020 single-seaters. The FIA technical regulations have not changed, just as the Pirelli tires will not be changing, so the technicians of the teams are working on solving the problems of last year’s car, in view of the revolution for 2021.
Let’s not expect, therefore, F1 aesthetically very different from those that we saw ending the 2019 season in Abu Dhabi, but the very similar overview, will not mean that many individual aspects of the cars will not be changed. We have already mentioned the Ferrari front suspension which will have the third hydraulically controlled element and the bracket which will still be the larger upper triangle, while the muzzle will adopt a larger (Mercedes-style) cape in the groove of what was seen in the evolution of the SF90 in Singapore when an aerodynamic package capable of generating more downforce was introduced.
On the rear, however, the substantial modification will concern the gearbox which will be redesigned to favor more aerodynamics than the rear to improve the efficiency of the extractor and save weight with the same structural rigidity. This change will also impact on the customer teams (Alfa Romeo and Haas) that adopt Ferrari’s carbon box.
According to rumors, in fact, the transmission should be about 30 mm shorter, resulting in a 2020 car with a slightly shorter wheelbase than that of the SF90 as anticipated by Corriere della Sera by PG Donadoni and Daniele Sparisci, without however returning to the values of the SF71H which was significantly less long (50 mm).
The reduction in surface area will allow for a drop in weight also on the body and bodywork, but will imply an increase in the rake settings, going in the direction of Red Bull which, unlike Mercedes, has always favored an exaggerated corner of the beaten setup.
The hydraulic control of the suspension (front and rear) will facilitate the development of this useful solution to increase the aerodynamic load at lower speeds (cornering), while the rear axle will be crushed with increasing speed and vertical thrust.
The intention is also to have a less “abrupt” car when braking, making the car unstable in the first phase of entering the corners, generating understeer which can cause the front tires to be in crisis. If having the rear more attached when braking will help Sebastian Vettel’s driving style, the lower tire wear should allow greater consistency in the race runs of Charles Leclerc.
Motorsport Italy understands, therefore, the logic of Mattia Binotto who wanted to bring forward the presentation of the new machine to February 11 in order to be able to make several days at the dynamic benches, before the winter tests, to deliberate some basic structures useful to make the most of generable load.
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