Many paddock insiders and Formula 1 tech specialists have been analyzing the Ferrari SF-23 during the last few days, following the winter pre-season session, which was held at the Bahrain International Circuit, as the teams now have just five days to get everything ready for the first round of the 2023 F1 campaign.
Telemetry data was the tool used by most for trying to understand and comment on the performance of the SF-23 challenger during the three-day test in Sakhir. Thanks to data extrapolation using the official Formula One GPS, funoanalisitecnica.com noticed two features.
Although at the moment it remains difficult to make definitive evaluations on the performance expressed on the track, they have noticed a clear step forward compared to the 2022 campaign using the graph relating to the longitudinal force expressed by the Ferrari single-seater. The car from Maranello brakes later, managing this critical phase in a optimal way thanks to the great work of the dynamic department. Therefore, braking stability is one of the strong points of the Ferrari SF-23.
In contrast, a factor emerges that shows a deficiency, namely the lateral grip, a scenario that was clearly visible during the testing sessions in Sakhir. All this makes us think that the changes in direction have put the Prancing Horse’s latest mechanical engineering project in difficulty. According to the information gathered by funoanalisitecnica.com, a precise assessment of the set-ups was already carried out within the Ferrari Racing Department.
In this sense, one of the possibilities concerns the set-up window, studied in depth during the days of testing at the Bahrain International Circuit. The level of downforce used could undoubtedly have had an impact, considering the approach seen in terms of rear wing, believing that the 2023 F1 car is able to generate more downforce as compared to the 2022 championship.
Both the “base” specification and the new one produce a medium downforce, while last year, at the Bahrain circuit, a rear wing capable of producing greater downforce was used. The previous graph relating to the aerodynamic load generated by the single-seaters, in fact, underlines how the load on the Ferrari SF-23 was less when compared with that used on the still excellent F1-75.
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Ferrari SF-23: the importance of aerodynamic efficiency
It therefore remains to be seen whether for next weekend, in the first round of the world championship, the Maranello engineers will prefer to use an additional rear wing capable of producing more downforce. A possibility that would facilitate the handling of the drivers and, consequently, the administration of the rear tyres.
Considering the degradation that emerged during the Ferrari long runs, it could be an idea. Even if the lower temperatures that we will have next Sunday, from this point of view, greatly reassure the Maranello technicians red with regards to tyre wear.
However, the top speeds observed with the new specification at the rear are really good. If you look at the previous image you can see it. In terms of top speed, in fact, the Ferrari SF-23 was the best car, about 3kmh on average faster than the very solid Red Bull RB19.
By adopting a more loaded wing, the gap could be recovered in the high-speed straights of the circuit. Nevertheless, from what Formula One Technical Analysis have learned, this should not be the path Ferrari want to follow. Despite its configuration, the same spec with more downforce aims to be very efficient, to avoid a shortcoming that the current single-seater from Maranello does not want to have.
The real problem that made things complicated concerns the general balance of the Italian car. This is confirmed by a certain oversteering tendency of the SF-23, observed on several occasions through the best tool available for understanding the various problems relating to driving: the onboard footage.
Ultimately, a question and its answer. What preliminary indications can we draw from the 2023 Formula 1 pre-season testing session in Bahrain? The Ferrari SF-23 has made a clear step forward in the development of longitudinal grip, while it appears more difficult to find the right window to exploit maximum lateral grip.
This is a clear fact for now. Whether the reason for this issue depends exclusively on the balance or may partly depend on the grip itself, however, remains to be discovered.
