Ferrari is riding the highs and lows. There are tracks where the SF-23 suits Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz’s ambitions to challenge Red Bull, while there are circuits like Zandvoort where almost nothing works and the red car needs to play defense, scraping the minimum to inch up the Constructors’ Championship standings.
It’s now clear to everyone that Ferrari has closed the chapter on developing the disappointing SF-23 at the start of the summer break. Financial and human resources have been directed towards project 676, which is the car for 2024—a car designed from scratch, with no connection to the current red sigle-seater.
New chassis and transmission mark a philosophical shift away from the “bathtub” design to embrace winning concepts seen in the Red Bull car. In reality, the critical factor is having a narrow base for the chassis, placing the lower intrusion cone in a position that frees up aerodynamics, rather than focusing on the slanting sidepods.
The technical department is already looking ahead to next year. Therefore, the changes we’ll see up until Austin will mostly be experiments aimed at defining the 2024 Ferrari, rather than attempts to enhance the current car. This is the bitter truth that emerged from the Dutch race, where the Scuderia had to face a reality check. Carlos Sainz’s fifth-place finish somewhat masked the SF-23’s deficiencies, placing it as the fourth force after a qualifying session that saw the Maranello car drop to sixth (behind Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Williams).
During the free practice sessions on Friday, aerodynamic comparison experiments were conducted with Robert Shwartzman substituting for Carlos Sainz in FP1. The objective was to see if the real SF-23’s behavior was similar to the one the third driver normally handles in the simulator. Data was collected, and correlations were made between a maximum downforce rear wing (required for Zandvoort) and a medium downforce configuration.
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Ferrari, rather than preparing for the Dutch GP, seemed more engaged in a test. FP1 was transformed into a trial session as private tests are prohibited by regulations. This is nonsensical: given the existence of a budget cap, teams should be allowed to run on the track, maybe sacrificing some developments. It might also prevent rookies like Liam Lawson from making their F1 debut with zero kilometers under their belt.
Interestingly, after the comparisons, the medium downforce wing was selected for Zandvoort, a choice starkly contrasting with the rest of the grid. Result: Ferrari was significantly faster on the lone straight, but the car became uncontrollable on the rest of the track due to insufficient downforce. A contradiction that’s hard to explain: vertical lift is lacking, yet the choice is a wing with lower resistance. Why?
The answer is relatively simple: the loaded rear wing generates only drag, while the rear end fails to produce the necessary downforce. Moreover, the car becomes difficult to balance because the front end is already configured with flaps at maximum angle and cannot be pushed further. The performance speaks volumes: a high downforce Ferrari is slower. It’s better to opt for the medium wing and unload the front slightly to find a balance that’s the least worse, but this means entrusting the drivers with a car that’s incredibly tricky to handle, with sudden shifts from oversteer to understeer.
The numerous run-offs at Turn 1, indicating a car difficult to manage during braking, are telling. In essence, the Hungarian lesson (where Ferrari aimed for pole!) didn’t teach anything, as the problems were quite similar. So, brace yourselves for another difficult weekend in Singapore. Is it possible that Ferrari will arrive at the end of August without a suitable wing for high-downforce tracks?
It’s not surprising that Charles Leclerc crashed the SF-23 in qualifying, pushing the car beyond its limits. The Maranello simulations suggest that if Charles Leclerc had completed the lap, he could have secured a second-row start, showcasing his talent while concealing the flaws of a car that’s a dud.
Perhaps both Fred Vasseur and Enrico Cardile should take a ride in the SF-23 (maybe in a simulator). This way, they could realize that an unmanageable and unpredictable car might lead to an incident like the one that forced Charles Leclerc to change chassis and gearbox. The Monegasque, even though he’s masked his frustration in words, has lost confidence in the car and is relying solely on his talent to make a difference.
While Saturday’s results may not be entirely his responsibility, the same cannot be said for his contact with Oscar Piastri on Sunday. He broke the front wing and a piece of the sidepod lodged in the underfloor, causing a loss of 60 efficiency points. A significant gap: Sainz hit 331.4 km/h in the speed trap, while Charles Leclerc didn’t exceed 316.2 km/h. The retirement was inevitable. However, if Ferrari intends to challenge Mercedes as the second force by the end of the season, both drivers must consistently score points. Otherwise, it’s better to change the tune…
Carlos is skilled at managing risks and maximizing performance on the edge, while Leclerc doesn’t settle and makes more mistakes. The result is that the Spaniard is ahead of the unofficial lead driver once again. All of this generates tension. Inevitably.
Thankfully, a new chapter begins immediately with Monza. Given the circumstances, the Italian Grand Prix should present us with a more competitive Ferrari, capable of maybe giving fans some moments of excitement. Each event on the calendar will have its own story. While Aston Martin and McLaren can aim for consistent results, Ferrari is destined to swing back and forth: the Temple of Speed could play in favor of the red car, but Singapore won’t.
As Enrico Cardile in Maranello lays the groundwork for the 2024 car, Ferrari will navigate each race without any hope of capitalizing on the efforts put into this unpredictable and stiff machine. The car might perform well at Monza, but Ferrari fans shouldn’t get too hopeful about the rest of the season: the lean period won’t have concluded in the Netherlands.
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