For Scuderia Ferrari, like the rest of the teams, the choice of aerodynamic setup for the weekend affects performance. Especially in the current context where the buzz about updates is rampant. The SF-23 has recently undergone a clear restyling. Apparently, the data supports the words of the Ferrari team: the Italian car has improved through study and the subsequent resolution of an issue that was limiting its performance.
It is the precise work done on the vortex structure that, once corrected, has provided the stability that was lacking in the red car until the Spanish Grand Prix. As we know well by now, confirmation is expected at Silverstone this weekend. A track that, given its intrinsic characteristics, will expose the strengths and weaknesses of the 675 project. The cautious optimism of the Ferrari F1 Engineering Division gives good hope.
In this regard, it is worth highlighting one aspect. The return to a “normal” weekend without the much-talked-about Sprint Race format will give the men of the Prancing Horse the opportunity to properly test their single-seater. The goal is clear: to present the best version of themselves in a weekend that could potentially change the fate of the entire 2023 Formula 1 racing season.
Thanks to the shots taken by Spanish F1 journalist Albert Fabrega directly from the British pitlane, we can comment on the decisions made regarding the installed load on the cars. Regarding Ferrari and Red Bull, we immediately notice that the choice studied in the simulator has confirmed the setup used during the 2022 championship, as explained by F1 experts Alessandro Arcari and Niccoló Arnerich 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!
During the previous Formula 1 season, the historic Maranello team had opted for a rear configuration with a lower load, specifically a double pillar setup. The goal was to bridge a certain efficiency gap compared to the RB18, a car that could afford a significantly more pronounced main wing profile.
Examining the comparison made by the FUnoanalisitecnica editorial team, in the bottom right we can see the aforementioned configurations used in the previous championship. If we compare these specifications with the current ones photographed inside the garages, we notice several similarities. Although the SF-23 has undoubtedly gained ground in terms of resistance to forward motion, the speed delta in favor of Red Bull remains.
This is especially evident as soon as the two RB19s can activate the DRS. For this simple reason, the engineers of the Prancing Horse have decided to introduce a version of the rear wing with a specific main plane that features a prominent “spoon” shape at Silverstone. In this way, the end vortices are reduced as much as possible, producing less downforce towards the outer parts, where the vortical structures have greater intensity.
The vertical thrust produced by this type of rear wing, called “medium load,” is concentrated in the central portion. On the contrary, Red Bull chooses a version that has a heavier main profile, with a more linear distribution of downforce along the profile itself.
Once again, the cars from Milton Keynes will be more loaded, an element that last year did not pay off as expected. The parameters that control the performance of the single-seaters are numerous, but the additional load used by the Austrian team in the 2022 season did not play a decisive role in achieving a perfect or overall better performance than that produced by the F1-75 single-seater.
Leave a Reply