Ferrari looking for grip in sectors 1 and 3 amid challenging COTA mechanical compromise

Ferrari SF-23, a “guinea pig car.” Yes, that’s precisely the situation. We’re talking about a poorly designed single-seater that, despite aerodynamic modifications, cannot exploit the winning concepts of the current regulations. For this reason, Enrico Cardile, supported by Frédéric Vasseur, has decided to test the Italian car every weekend with an eye on 2024. This choice doesn’t pay off currently, but it will in the near future.

We talked about it just yesterday on these pages, in conjunction with the “unique approach” chosen for project 676. This approach aims to maximize the principles of the technical regulations according to its own defined identity. After all, copying those who win makes you a loser in the eyes of the Maranello team, and when you think about it, they aren’t entirely wrong. However, there is also the present, and despite the ongoing engineering research, offering the best is a must.

Gp USA 2023/Preview Ferrari: SF-23 “sacrificed” in T2
Formula 1 arrives in Texas. We’re talking about a track in Austin that is highly sensitive to aerodynamic efficiency. In addition to the main straight, there is a second high-speed section located in the central sector. Cars like Red Bull and Ferrari, therefore, might have advantages over rivals like Mercedes and McLaren. The ideal load should be medium to high, with the RB19 potentially using higher-angle wings, taking advantage of the low drag produced by the Austrian car.

The first sector requires good vertical push and, above all, optimal downforce balance between the two axles. This part of the circuit has several wide-radius curves, so a solid front end is necessary to avoid understeer, something Ferrari needs to pay attention to, while McLaren and Red Bull will benefit. Moreover, Mercedes seems to have made progress in terms of stability at higher speeds.

From a purely mechanical perspective, achieving a compromise in terms of rigidity will be challenging, with lower values compared to Qatar because at COTA, there are zones with lower speeds where more grip produced by the suspensions is needed. For example, the hairpin, turn 11, which leads into the long T2 straight, and the many 90-degree slow corners in the final sector of this beautiful circuit in the United States.

It’s worth noting that the American tarmac provides a medium level of grip. The engineers at the Prancing Horse will need to provide enough grip to the front end of the SF-23 while maintaining good rigidity to obtain a responsive response in directional changes. This may involve partly sacrificing the rear to shift the mechanical balance towards the front or giving up some competitiveness between S1 and S2 to fully exploit the Italian car’s best weapon: traction.

On this point, it’s worth mentioning that Ferrari’s front suspension layout will be modified for 2024. As extensively discussed, what works best on the current wing cars is a suspension with more millimeters of separation between the two overlapping triangles. The Scuderia tried to make its solutions work but failed, so next year, several points of the kinematics will be modified.

The reigning world champion team will have ample room to make the most of its strengths. We’re talking about a solid front end and the great aerodynamic efficiency that will yield excellent lap times. The tarmac has various bumps, making it complicated to find the optimal ground clearances. From this perspective, there will be various difficulties. Red Bull and partly McLaren will have the advantage of being able to “absorb” the bumps in the reference plane (the tarmac), preserving the skid block.

Last year, the F1-75 performed well in both the first and third sectors but showed some difficulty in the central sector. In S1, the Maranello car carried a lot of speed through the center, which was significantly higher compared to Red Bull and Mercedes. In the long straight of S2, it lost a lot of speed, only to recover in S3 thanks to traction. This leads us to believe that next weekend, the SF-23 may mount a higher rear wing to optimize performance, sacrificing performance in the middle of the track.

Gp USA 2023/Preview Ferrari: SF-23 “tuned” to save tires
To further complicate the situation and change the equation is the tires. In the fast corners of the first sector, the front tires will tend to overheat more. The third sector consists of a mix of various types of variable-radius curves, where the rear will be stressed during traction. During the course of the lap, all four tires will be stressed at different times but equitably. This is why the thermal cycle of each tire could be quite demanding.

The uneven tarmac of the American track will produce micro-slides that increase the surface temperature of the compounds. This aspect complicates tire management during the race. The major degradation will be thermal, given the presence of fast corners and the “uneven” terrain. From this perspective, the SF-23 will have to play defensively, aiming not to be forced to slow down and perform more slowly than necessary.

An understeering behavior, in fact, could increase degradation and exacerbate one of the Ferrari’s negative characteristics: a front-limited car. Another aspect to consider on this track concerns the various thermal excursions from one session to another. We are talking about a factor that could potentially cause turmoil for many teams, including Ferrari, as the car has a reduced operating window and is difficult to hit, especially given the specific time chosen by Formula One.

That’s why the historic Italian team has studied a “tailored” setup for the SF-23 using the simulator. In this regard, according to the information gathered by the editorial team of FUnoanalisitecnica, it is a base setup that is more suitable for the Monegasque driver, which could create more difficulties for the Spaniard. We are waiting for track verifications, but given the current situation, the choices of the Scuderia drivers could be slightly different and equally practical for both in the 2023 F1 United States Grand Prix.