Scuderia Ferrari comes off an impressive performance considering the value of their car. A podium for Charles Leclerc was never in doubt, effectively keeping the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton at bay, eager but lacking the suitable pace to catch up to the red car. Following closely were the group of pursuers and contenders vying for the second position in the championship. Red Bull remains at the top, but at least in Spa-Francorchamps, on Charles’s side, an evolutionary step concerning the comprehensive management of the race weekend was evident.
The Monegasque driver managed to interpret his car perfectly. The SF-23 was set up with less weight compared to competitors, favoring performance in high-speed sections of the track. This approach left it to the drivers to optimize Turn 2, yielding good results—this stretch of the Belgian track benefits significantly from the vertical force generated by the wing cars.
As they head to the Netherlands, the challenge is substantial. The lengthy summer break provided the technicians with the opportunity to meticulously analyze all details, studying and improving weak points. Work in the simulator towards Zandvoort has infused cautious optimism in the team. According to the gathered information, the car adorned with the Prancing Horse should be capable of offering solid performance. Of course, this hinges on nailing the setup of the red car.
2023 Dutch GP/Technical Preview: Managing the Front End Makes the Difference
For the first time in many years, the inaugural race after the August “vacation” will be held in Dutch territory. The track is quite distinctive due to its various long-radius curves. Moreover, the course is relatively narrow, featuring positive banking in several spots. This implies that some corners are banked inward, a specificity that promotes generating grip on the front axle.
Precisely for this reason, the general trend during the first practice session will involve gradually reducing the front-end downforce. This allows teams to load the rear more and find a balance shifted towards the rear, worrying less about providing grip to the front axle.
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The track’s characteristics cater to the engineers’ needs, as they seek more push on the rear axle given the high average speeds during certain sections. Suspension-wise, we may observe a front end that might not be as rigid, even though direction changes are abundant on this track. Last year, Mercedes made a stiffness change to the front anti-roll bars, while Ferrari decided to stiffen the rear to favor the kinematics of the front axle.
From this critical point concerning the mere suspension setup of ground-effect cars, we can easily deduce something: although the front end is aerodynamically favored due to the circuit layout, the need to balance the overall mechanical setup to find performance even in medium-slow zones prevails. Failing to do so would result in a detrimental “kinematic deficiency.”
Needless to say… Interestingly, Red Bull is also arriving with a significant advantage over the competition in the Netherlands. An RB19 that probably possesses the most solid front end on the grid, which should considerably ease the pursuit of suspension excellence. At Zandvoort, the Milton Keynes team might present a car with less rear load compared to others. Essentially, the engineers in blue racing attire can play with setups thanks to the higher level of efficiency at their disposal.
To confirm this, we only need to recall the various configurations adopted during the first twelve rounds of the 2023 racing campaign. On high-load circuits, Red Bull was always able to shed wings, whereas on tracks demanding less vertical force, they could hit the track with a greater amount of downforce, without paying the price.
2023 Dutch GP/Technical Preview: Ferrari Chooses a Specific Setup Direction
If Ferrari works optimally, they can aim high in the Netherlands, especially in qualifying based on the results from the previous season. The “conviction” regarding this aspect is reinforced when considering the progress in terms of load stability from the floor. The choices in downforce are likely to mimic those used in 2022. This means opting for a medium/high downforce wing, even in the ongoing championship.
Asphalt temperatures might be quite high, a significant concern for the red car as soon as the track heats up. This factor could be decisive, and for that reason, based on what Formula One Technical Analysis has learned in recent days, Maranello’s dynamic department has devised various settings to manage tire duty. This pertains to both activation and maintaining the correct working range during long stints.
Below, we provide the micro-sector graph from last year’s qualifying: Ferrari vs Red Bull, 2022 Dutch GP edition. A quick glance reveals how the RB18 was far from lacking in performance, consistently showing good acceleration in every segment of the track. This pattern will probably repeat over the next few days. Despite having a slightly inferior setup margin, the SF-23 still did a commendable job managing the tires. The prerequisites seem to be in place, but naturally, they need to be realized on the track.
As mentioned earlier, changes were made to the red car’s suspension setup during the 2022 weekend, aiming to provide greater directionality and front-end grip. Keeping the characteristics of the SF-23 in mind, this will be the direction to take currently. This is due to the rear of the Ferrari needing substantial vertical force. It’s worth recalling that on medium-high load tracks, the lack of rear downforce has always been felt, widening the gap to competitors.
Tires will also play a central role in this case since containing their temperatures throughout a lap remains challenging. Generally, teams begin the lap under the optimal range to arrive at the final corners with a tire compound slightly above the optimal level. Having an overheating compound in the final part of the track wasn’t unusual last season, as almost no driver struggled to overheat them. This is why managing the covers effectively becomes one of the most challenging tasks at Zandvoort.
Source: Alessandro Arcari and Niccoló Arnerich for FUnoanalisitecnica
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