Ferrari has no intention of slowing down. We’ve mentioned this several times before: Enrico Cardile has been given carte blanche for the ongoing season. The “acting technical director” has pushed hard with the management. Many meetings have been held in recent weeks to plan the work for the upcoming months. The firm determination to continue developing the SF-23 signifies a change in trend compared to the recent past.
The idea of easing up halfway through the racing season, an approach favored by former team principal Mattia Binotto, is not at all considered. On the contrary, progressing in the path of technical understanding of the car, according to Enrico’s beliefs, will yield many advantages for 2024 as well. The aim is to test the current car on the track as much as possible, with the goal of gathering all the necessary confirmations for the 676 project.
This different approach will lead the Prancing Horse to make further evolutionary steps during the ongoing championship. The areas of focus remain to be determined, considering that overhauling the 2023 car will not be feasible. The reasons are well-known: tight schedules and budget constraints prohibit significant changes to the chassis and internal components, which effectively hinder major alterations to the existing aerodynamic design.
Ferrari SF-23: Targeted Updates to Lower Lap Times
Providing percentage breakdowns of different update packages isn’t a good idea. This is because what looks good on paper, especially at Ferrari, often doesn’t always align with reality. Validating various car revisions involves the element of “time” as the main factor. Moreover, some novelties can often unlock the untapped potential of other parts of the car. In essence, it’s a bit like gambling on a lottery ticket where hitting the right numbers doesn’t necessarily guarantee success.
According to information gathered by the editorial team of FUnoanalisitecnica, the operational plan involves further modifications to the car’s floor. We’re well aware that out of the various floor versions tested throughout the season, very few have worked effectively, probably only one. Furthermore, delving into the technical details, there’s an area of the car that isn’t functioning as it should, and the Maranello technicians are putting in their maximum effort to address it.
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We’re talking about the area between the rear tire and the diffuser, where the substantial airflow is pushed downward due to the tire’s rolling motion, “evacuating” laterally. This is the so-called tire squish area, where a “disturbed” low-energy fluid tends to sneak under the floor, affecting the flow structure.
Ferrari hasn’t managed to control this phenomenon effectively through floor shielding. The new sidepod configuration introduced in Catalonia isn’t capable of “curing” this headache, as the final section that approaches the diffuser features shapes that promote inwash for feeding. This aspect can’t be considered incorrect, but unlike Red Bull and Mercedes, it doesn’t limit rear downforce losses.
The absence of the Red Bull RB19-style “cutout” that could increase the Y component of the fluid with clean and energized airflow is making the difference. It remains to be seen whether Ferrari can address this issue, proposing a practical solution that could enhance the car’s vertical downforce at the rear. According to FUnoanalisitecnica, the Ferrari Racing Division is working on this.
Another component that should undergo changes in the coming months is the rear wing. In reality, the debut of a different specification had been under consideration for some time. Unfortunately, the aerodynamic discrepancies encountered on the car’s floor delayed the operation, with the Ferrari engineers preferring to take their time before introducing additional examples into the autoclave.
The target, in this case as well, aims to optimize the handling of the vortex structure coming from the car’s central part. The goal is to achieve a more stable rear end that can provide Ferrari drivers with a better feeling when gripping the steering wheel of the SF-23. Lately, we’ve witnessed various “experiments” related to installed rear downforce, in an attempt to widen the setup window using different handling characteristics.
For the rest, we can’t rule out further changes to the floor inlet, sidepod inlet, and front wing. While on the suspension side, although the dynamic department has been studying more effective new solutions for several months, it’s difficult to expect major changes in the near future. Some adjustments could be introduced, indeed, which on a mechanical level might ensure better tire management over long distances.
The operational plan to tackle the ten championship rounds to the best of their abilities, leading to the end of the 2023 Formula 1 season, has recently been set. The confirmation comes from Fred Vasseur himself, who, in an atmosphere of complete transparency, unconcerned about providing references to competitors, reveals the technical directives at play. Despite the Ferrari working group not being fully staffed, activity within the sports management division is more active than ever.
Source: Alessandro Arcari for FUnoanalisitecnica
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