Ferrari: aerodynamic development of SF-23 and all updates introduced in 2023

From the first kilometers on the track, the limitations of the SF-23 become immediately apparent in Maranello. The Red car highlights issues of excessive aerodynamic sensitivity, instability, and driving difficulties, deficiencies that guide the development of the car throughout the season. More than increasing aerodynamic load, Ferrari is working primarily to give the car a more docile and predictable character, with the goal of putting the drivers in a position to approach the car’s limit. The development, however, remains limited by the choices made in the project’s setup, including the pull-rod rear suspension and the lower cones protecting the cockpit integrated into the side pods. Here is a summary of all the innovations introduced on the SF-23 during the season.

Bahrain
In the first race of the year, Ferrari tests a new medium-to-high load wing, but excessive oscillations postpone its debut to subsequent events. Although not used in the race, the wing seen in Bahrain represents an important moment in Ferrari’s development, marking the beginning of the transition to winglets supported by a single pylon.

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Jeddah
In Saudi Arabia, the first of a long series of floors that will follow on the SF-23 arrives. The only externally recognizable novelty is the elevation of the rear part, just in front of the wheel. The update to the front wing is also important, following the path traced by Mercedes, widening the slots in the connection area between the profiles and the vertical tail of the endplate, favoring the outflow of flows outside the front wheels. In Jeddah, the Red car is also equipped with a new version of the low-load beam-wing.

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Baku
The only novelty for the Azerbaijan race is the straight-profile rear wing for low load, to gain as much speed as possible on the long straight of the Azerbaijani capital. The wing is still of the double-pylon support type.

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Miami
The Florida race represents an important moment in the season for the Prancing Horse. A completely new floor arrives on the SF-23, abandoning the old layout in which the Venturi channel inlet section lowered towards the outside. The outermost flow diverter is also modified to channel incoming flows into the Venturi channels and the harmful turbulence from the front wheels. Completing the package is a new diffuser.

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

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Monte Carlo
As tradition dictates, the maximum load rear wing is debuted in the Principality, set on a single supporting pylon. Also noteworthy are the new air intakes for the rear brakes.

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Barcelona
The Spanish race marks an important turning point in the aerodynamic design of the SF-23. Both the floor and the bodywork are updated simultaneously, the result of a comprehensive study to exploit their aerodynamic interaction. The “tubs” begin to change shape: the outermost part of the side pods now descends, recalling the Red Bull setup that exploits the adhesion between the flows and the bodywork to channel air into the lower part of the gearbox area. In Maranello, they also try to flare the lower part of the side pods under the side air intakes, but the presence of the cockpit protection structure prevents replicating the slimness achieved by Red Bull.

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

The floor also moves in the direction traced by the world champions, with the raising of the outer edge acting as a side diffuser to extract flows from the Venturi channels and generate downforce. Among the visible novelties, changes to the outermost wall in the front stand out.

Completing the package are some detailed novelties. For example, the design of the appendices mounted between the roll bar and the halo attachments changes, as does the fairing of the rearview mirrors.

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Austria
At the Red Bull Ring, the fourth version of the floor makes its debut, the fifth if the specification from the beginning of the year is considered. The visible interventions focus on the area of the edge and the external flow diverter to the Venturi channel inlet section. In the diffuser, however, the thin keel gives way to a wider ramp.

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Also of great interest is the new front wing, with a different distribution of the length of the various profiles. The changes to the vertical partition of the endplate also indicate the desire to correct the structure of the flows and vortices that affect the rest of the car, also protecting the floor.

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Towards the break
In Britain, the new medium-low load beam-wing makes its debut in the race, characterized by a seagull wing design. The update had already been tested in the free practice sessions of previous events.

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

In Hungary, the Maranello team makes small adjustments to the front wing. On the high-load track in Budapest, the gurney flap is extended for the entire width of the upper profiles.

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

On the straights of Spa, the SF-23 flaunts the new low-load rear wing. The straight and flat profile recalls the version from Baku, but unlike it, the support structure is a single pylon.

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Monza
For the home race, an even lower rear wing than that in Belgium is used, but it returns to the double pylon support.

Source: Carlo Platella for formulapassion

Singapore
In the Asian city-state, the Prancing Horse achieves the only victory of its season thanks to Carlos Sainz and some great defending from the Spanish driver in the final stages of the Singapore Grand Prix. A small contribution comes from the new adjustable flaps of the front wing, ensuring greater front grip.