Let’s start the chapter on the Ferrari SF-23 by talking about the setup modifications. In addition to calibrating the front anti-roll bars differently, Italian technicians have adjusted ground clearances through the third element. These changes were aimed at addressing oversteer during entry, which forced the drivers to open their trajectories when approaching the apex. This was a relatively minor issue and was not evident in FP3 due to traffic. In the first sector, Ferrari builds an excellent intermediate time, thanks in part to top speed, a combination of aerodynamic efficiency and engine power.
The central section presents greater challenges compared to Red Bull and McLaren, which is where the red team has to play more defensively. After all, the mentioned cars have a higher downforce level, and as we’ve highlighted several times, the behavior of the Modena car over curbs is notably more discontinuous. The explanation is quite simple: the tire cannot perfectly “copy” the undulations of the obstacle. You can see a straightforward example in the following comparison we’ve created.
Red Bull, unlike the Prancing Horse, excels precisely in the section with fast corners, where it can enhance its front-end, known for being very stable. The two RB19s can attack curbs more aggressively without unsettling the car, mainly because they use components that are generally stiffer. Overall, the entire suspension geometry of the Austrian cars is less forgiving, meaning there is less movement in the chassis. These suspension concepts have been wisely adopted by McLaren as well.
However, we must highlight a fact. During the qualification of the 2023 Mexican Grand Prix, not even the cars born from the brilliant mind of Adrian Newey were perfect. Verstappen and Perez were forced to correct the car’s entry multiple times, as can be seen in the following sequence of images.
Mercedes also struggled with the rear of the car, especially during entry. The excessive rotation is even more aggressive in the case of the W14, and in Q3, this detrimental behavior for handling seems to have worsened. Nevertheless, the most significant difference remains in the central section, similar to the Ferrari. We can see a direct comparison between the German car and the Austrian car below.
The comparison clearly shows that the behavior of attacking and traversing curbs is significantly better in the case of the Red Bull, where the inner tire remains in contact with the asphalt throughout. Meanwhile, in the case of the all-black car, the wheel detaches from the curb, losing grip. This is highlighted by the green circle in the top image.
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Mexican GP 2023: Where and How the Ferrari SF-23 Builds Pole and Front Row in Mexican Qualifying?
In terms of numbers, Ferrari has secured pole position and the front row in S1, the section of the Mexican track where the two SF-23s can put a substantial gap on the rest of the competitors. Leclerc even managed to beat Verstappen’s number 1 by nearly a tenth. In the second part of the American circuit, both “Carlos” had to push to the absolute maximum, especially Charles Leclerc, to match the times of the three-time Formula 1 World Champion.
The final section of the track was very uncertain for everyone, and in this case, the performances of the two cars examined were essentially equal. However, an essential factor within this discussion must still be highlighted. Since the first Friday practice session, as we’ve mentioned, the cars from Maranello were never able to find the right speed to exploit one of the “endemic” advantages inherited from the F1-75: excellent traction that characterizes the 675 project.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
Among the other drivers, a lot of credit goes to Faenza. The Australian driver of AlphaTauri, one Daniel Ricciardo, was truly extraordinary, especially in the final section, where he found maximum performance, managing to place himself ahead of everyone in the time comparisons. Oscar Piastri could have done significantly better, but the young McLaren driver failed to exploit even the central section, which, as we’ve seen, is ideally suited to the MCL60.
At this point in the text, a question naturally arises: In which parts of the circuit was the SF-23 better than the RB19? The Milton Keynes car marked with the number 1, in the capable hands of the Hasselt talent, gains an advantage in the mid-speed turns and along the entire last corner. However, Ferrari prevails in the straights, exploiting its top speed characteristics. Charles Leclerc is even more than 6 km/h faster than Max Verstappen in terms of top speed. Moreover, the Monegasque driver offers good mid-corner speed in the slow sections of S3, even though number 16 cannot capitalize on this advantage in terms of lap time.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
Finally, let’s briefly analyze the table below. The numerical summary divides various corners based on a speed scale. In the slower parts of the circuit, it’s evident that Charles’s Ferrari manages to dominate with an average speed of 88.0 km/h, even though, as previously noted, this advantage doesn’t translate into faster lap times. At medium speeds, the SF-23 aligns with the values of its competitors, losing very little to the RB19.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
The most significant difference lies in the faster portions of the circuit, where changes of direction and good balance play an essential role. Ferrari averages 5 km/h slower in the mid-corner speeds compared to the Red Bull of the fresh three-time world champion. From this straightforward table, we can also extrapolate a direct comparison between Norris and Piastri: we notice that in this speed range, the young Australian McLaren driver does not utilize his MCL60 as effectively as Lando, despite the British driver not reaching Q3.
Source: FUnoanalisitecnica
Thanks to this chart, we can, therefore, draw conclusions, determining the “real values” in this nineteenth qualification of the 2023 racing campaign. The image reveals that, on paper, Verstappen could undoubtedly have secured the front row in Mexico. After Ferrari and Red Bull, the third-best force is AlphaTauri, driven by Daniel Ricciardo, who effectively placed himself ahead of the much-anticipated Mercedes. McLaren is only the fifth-best, even though it had the potential for a front row qualification pace.
Source: Alessandro Arcari and Niccoló Arnerich for FUnoanalisitecnica
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