The 2024 Scuderia Ferrari car is taking shape with some bold design choices: the gearbox casing is expected to be slimmer by 20 mm on each side, allowing for the adoption of a larger diffuser, enhancing the efficiency of the rear of the car. The transmission will have stiffness values equal to those of the SF-23 but will be slightly lighter. It is challenging to miniaturize the internal parts of the push-rod suspension.
Ferrari 676: A project with some bold choices. While waiting to catch a glimpse of the new red car on February 13 or 15 (reserved date), the first rumors about the single-seater designed by Enrico Cardile are starting to emerge. The Scuderia has learned from the “mistakes” revealed by the SF-23 and the inspiration from the best competitors to launch a car with an entirely new chassis and a gearbox that responds to a concept: the miniaturization of the transmission casing.
According to rumors, the length of the gearbox will not change, so the wheelbase of the 676 will not change substantially compared to the SF-23. However, the effort has been made to gain about 20 mm on each side in width. The advantage will be having a larger diffuser slide, capable of making the car more efficient, which, at least on paper, should generate more downforce with the body, allowing for reduced wing resistance and thus profiles with smaller chords and angles.
The exercise is more complex than it may seem for three reasons: a narrower transmission must achieve the same levels of torsional resistance to avoid stiffness losses that would have a detrimental effect on the car’s handling on the track. Ferrari technicians have set very ambitious goals because it will be possible to achieve a small weight saving associated primarily with an aerodynamic advantage. However, the other significant difficulty is fitting the internal part of the rear suspension.
As previously reported on Motorsport.com, the layout will remain the well-known pull-rod, but the design of the linkages will be completely revised, following some Red Bull concepts (the RB19 is push-rod). We will see more misaligned arms both front and rear, seeking mechanical advantages. In the rear, the upper multilink’s front arm will be decidedly inclined downward to increase the anti-squat effect, while in the front, there will be a reversed design to favor anti-dive, as reported by Motorsport Italy.
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What are we talking about? Schemes useful for avoiding excessive nose dive during braking and the equivalent squatting of the rear in acceleration. Stabilizing the behavior of the “box” would mean having a less sensitive Ferrari to changes in ride height from the asphalt, and therefore, with fewer sudden loss of load that harms tire health.
The sidepods will be more sloping, following Red Bull’s dictates, and the radiator inlet will have a narrower frontal section to increase the airflow directed under the side, in a much more flared underfloor compared to that of the SF-23. This is because the lower intrusion cone will be submerged in the bottom and will no longer protrude to disrupt the flow on the curb.
There is also an expectation of weight savings on the chassis, and it would not be surprising if we see the keel shape in the front that Adrian Newey bet on in 2023. In the Scuderia, a positive atmosphere prevails, seemingly strengthened by the new arrivals from Red Bull and Mercedes who speak of a red car capable of aligning with the choices of the best competitors, without overturning their basic concepts.
The other Enrico, Chief Power Unit Officer Gualtieri, is continuing to refine power unit management strategies for better hybrid use, continuing a job that has opened a new development path since mid-season and has allowed the SF-23 to extract all the potential it contained, also reducing tire wear thanks to a less brutal and aggressive delivery of electric power.
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