The tuning of the Ferrari SF-23 challenger remains a great unknown. Finding the peak competitiveness of the SF-23 means extracting the maximum performance from a car that is not that bad after all. However, we have experienced firsthand how difficult it is to achieve that. But the problem is much larger and concerns a specific factor: not hitting the right setup significantly lowers competitiveness. There are no half measures, in short.
The Italian car performs at its best only within a rather narrow range, beyond which performance plummets. This seems to be the biggest macro problem for the Prancing Horse. A problem that stems from a clear “design flaw” in the drawing phase. This is why dedicating so much time to this discipline is essential for the men of Maranello, in an attempt to offer the best version of themselves, always and in any case.
It is a problem far from the situation of Red Bull. On the contrary, the Milton Keynes team has developed a very flexible car, capable of adapting to any condition. All thanks to a really wide operating window. For this reason, in addition to the aero-mechanical solidity of the RB19 project, the reigning world champion Max Verstappen has no rivals.
Only Sergio Perez seems capable of squandering the luck that has fallen into his hands. But we can imagine that dealing with the talent of the Dutchman must be overwhelming. So much so as to “poison” the otherwise very good abilities of the Mexican. A similar context for McLaren which, following the miraculous package of updates, shows good flexibility regarding different layouts, just like Red Bull.
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!
Then there is Mercedes, capable of achieving a stunning pole in Hungary with Lewis Hamilton and losing pace on Sunday. On the other hand, Aston Martin seems completely lost for the past month, a team that has undergone a significant technical regression despite the proposed updates. These are the topics we will analyze during the Belgian weekend in the splendid setting of Spa-Francorchamps.
Ferrari focuses on low downforce
The historic Maranello team has chosen to do without the rear wing seen in Baku. The specific version in question should have a second flap with an increased angle of attack, with the clear objective of improving DRS efficiency. This suggests a strategy to try to gain speed on the long straights of Spa and thus focus on the first and third sectors, as we anticipated in the past few days.
The wing is equipped with a practically straight main plane, with an inlet edge that seems more pronounced in the central section. Probably, this solution will be associated with a more loaded beam wing that can increase the volume of air extracted from the floor. Overall, we are talking about a wing whose pressure profile is uniformly distributed in width.
As for Red Bull, given the inherent efficiency of the RB19, they opted for a medium downforce specification, with a much more pronounced main element and the load distributed mainly in the central area. On the trailing edge of both wings in question, there is a nolder that slightly increases the downforce produced with the second element.
Of course, once again, the Austrian team can afford a more loaded solution that, in turn, will help them considerably in the central sector without losing much in the other two remaining parts. The high top speeds, in fact, should remain unchanged for Red Bull, as often happened in the other World Championship events of this 2023 Formula 1 racing season.
Source: Alessandro Arcari and Niccoló Arnerich for FUnoanalisitecnica.
Leave a Reply