Ferrari SF-23: negative speed gap of 4.6% between qualifying and race. Negative speed gap of 4.6% between qualifying and race.

Scuderia Ferrari was expected to undergo a crucial test in Great Britain, which hosted the previous round of the 2023 Formula One championship, at the Silverstone circuit. After two strong performances in terms of speed in Canada and Austria, the feared high-speed corners were supposed to confirm the evolutionary step. However, that was not entirely the case. In this regard, the validation of the upgrade package requires more time, with the clear goal of widening the setup window for the red car.

Although the Italian car showed very solid performance in qualifying sessions, the long-distance performance related to tire degradation left several question marks for the technicians in Maranello. It should be noted that the discussion scenario is very complicated, as the parameters affecting the dynamics of the car are not easily categorizable.

After setting the premise in today’s article, we can certainly highlight the factors that contribute to the “anomalous” behavior of the Maranello car, which, as examined at Silverstone through our analysis, often yield contrasting results. It’s a highly complex reading for the Italian engineers, who are heavily engaged in solving this challenging puzzle.

Ferrari SF-23, Qualifying vs. Race: Tire Thermal Management
Through telemetry analysis, we have understood how, without making mistakes in his good lap, Charles Leclerc could have secured the front row or even pole position in Great Britain. This context has already been observed in the past, with the SF-23 showing excellent qualities when the car runs with low fuel onboard. However, 24 hours later, the mediocrity of the British performance raised eyebrows. Hasty strategies and insufficient pace resulted in an average delay of 0.7 seconds per lap compared to Max Verstappen.

Let’s try to understand where this difference, which is tormenting the thoughtful minds of the Prancing Horse, originates. To do so, we will use a table extrapolated from telemetry data, which highlights the percentage gaps in corners between qualifying and race, categorizing them into low, medium, and high speeds. The calculations refer to the fastest lap achieved in the race, as explained by F1 expert Alessandro Arcari for FUnoanalisitecnica.

Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!

Observing the image, it can be seen that in qualifying, in slow corners, the red car tended to gain on the Austrian car. This has been noticed since the beginning of the current championship. Although the Ferrari SF-23 has always shown better traction and mechanical grip than the Milton Keynes car, the gap increases significantly during the race, and Charles Leclerc loses about 7% to Max Verstappen’s Red Bull RB19.

The situation is quite similar in medium-speed corners as well. While the gap was minimal, almost irrelevant, in Q3, the next day with a full tank of fuel, the gap increased by 3.8%. But the worst scenario occurs in high-speed corners with large radii, where the delta increases from 3% to 7.6% during the race. A loss of 4.6%.

Furthermore, considering that Charles Leclerc’s lap is the 48th, while Max Verstappen’s is the 42nd, at the time of comparison, the SF-23 enjoyed a small advantage with less fuel onboard. Apart from the issues related to ride heights in long runs, which Frederic Vasseur and his colleagues seem convinced they have resolved, one of the most significant variables that continues to trouble the engineers concerns tire management.

When temperature control needs to be maintained over long distances, something is not working. Even in Austria at the Red Bull Ring, where degradation was low, Charles Leclerc struggled to control the temperatures of the front axle, especially in the few but still present high-speed corners. This factor was amplified at the Silverstone circuit in the previous round of the 2023 Formula 1 campaign, significantly limiting the race pace of the Ferrari SF-23.