Scuderia Ferrari is processing various strategies. They are doing so to return to where they belong, at the top of the premier motorsport category. The “unfortunate” 2023 racing campaign has yielded bitter satisfaction for the Prancing Horse. In terms of results, the pole at Monza and the subsequent podium fully satisfied the Maranello team. After all, considering the competitiveness of the SF-23 and the dominance of Red Bull, there wasn’t much more that could be done.
The last race weekend told the story of a really good working approach. A surge of optimism stemming from setup management and the clear ability to maximize the weekend. Yes, of course, the layout at the Italian circuit played a part in the performance. But reducing the quality of the work done in Italy to this factor alone would be frankly unfair.
Meanwhile, opening a window on current events, two important technical updates arrived within a week. We’re talking about the provisions from the International Federation concerning hot topics: flexi wings and TD309. A double tightening of the screws that the FIA decided to implement to clarify certain rather murky situations.
On the one hand, we refer to wing flexibility, a practice that effectively alters the load during the car’s motion to gain aerodynamic benefits. On the other hand, the thorny issue related to the wooden plank. An element that, while preserved to limit wear, forces technicians to raise the cars, losing part of the vertical thrust. Singapore, in this regard, presents itself as the perfect testing ground.
GP Singapore 2023/Technical Preview Ferrari: The Importance of Ground Heights
While waiting to see if the above directives will shake things up, it’s worth noting one thing. Ferrari, taking advantage of the FIA’s only annual concession to “adjust” the hybrid system of the car, presented the latest version of the PU 066/10 at the Italian Grand Prix. The changes concern the software, capable of managing the electrical energy produced by the generators.
Through our analysis, we explained how the overall efficiency of the Maranello power unit has increased. It can now distribute the approximately 160 hp more effectively over the course of a lap. Furthermore, the motor department led by Enrico Gualtieri has changed the power delivery. This factor contributes significantly to tire management.
For the fifteenth World Championship event, the Circus arrives at Marina Bay, the beautiful city-state of Singapore. Although the track has been on the calendar for several years, for the thirteenth edition, the layout has undergone another slight restyling: turns 16, 17, 18, and 19 have disappeared, replaced by a high-speed straight. This update adds to the changes made last year when the 11-12 chicane was made faster.
In practical terms, the number of turns thus drops from 23 to 19, and average speeds will consequently rise. We also highlight one fact: in 2022, three areas of the circuit were resurfaced to reduce the number of bumps and assist teams in managing porpoising. The disappearance of many bumps will help the teams in defining a crucial parameter for today’s wing cars: ground heights, a much-debated aspect.
This aspect will greatly assist technicians and engineers in defining the setup, benefiting the cars that struggle to lower the car beyond a certain height, primarily Ferrari, gaining in terms of performance. During the last season, the F1-75 achieved pole position with Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver was very skillful in utilizing his red car’s excellent traction during qualifying, perfectly managing tire warm-up in Q3.
GP Singapore 2023/Technical Preview Ferrari: A Lot of Work on the Suspension System
Suspension-wise, it will be interesting to see which path the different teams choose. Normally, in Singapore, the aim is to prioritize mechanical grip and, above all, traction, trying not to sacrifice too much front-end grip. Nevertheless, considering the above changes, the most popular choice might lean toward stiffening the suspension scheme.
The goal would be to maximize load and, above all, responsiveness in direction changes, as well as the drivers’ precision. Without a doubt, the hypothesis will be tested on the track during the early practice sessions to understand, if possible, what benefits such a configuration could provide. In a circuit with a low number of bumps, teams tend to adopt stiffer anti-roll bars.
Last year, Ferrari worked on two fundamental aspects of their car’s behavior: stability and a slight understeer that was subsequently “cured” by increasing the front wing incidence. Twelve months later, however, the SF-23 has to deal with an endemic lack of rotation repeatedly observed in the current championship. The significant aerodynamic changes to the wings will shift the roll center toward the rear.
This action, in turn, challenges the car by reducing grip at the front if it is not sufficiently solid. We recently talked about Ferrari’s front suspension, highlighting how it is almost “outdated” compared to the trend pursued by other teams. For this reason, without a doubt, mechanical setup will be the factor that Italian engineers will focus on most to optimize one of the SF-23’s strengths: traction.
Red Bull has completely different characteristics compared to the Maranello car. With a very solid front end, loading the rear won’t be a problem at all. Therefore, the technicians from Milton Keynes can choose a lower installed load to favor higher top speeds on the straights. Keep an eye on the sparks produced by the RB19’s floor, a feature that would confirm less ground clearance compared to other teams. Regarding Mercedes, we expect a sort of comeback after the not-so-perfect weekend of the German team. The changes to the front suspension scheme presented in Monaco have given the W14 a lot of competitiveness in the more twisty sections. We, therefore, expect better performance from the all-black cars in Singapore, although at the moment, they seem unable to develop optimal downforce for peak performance.
Source: Alessandro Arcari for Formula Uno Analisi Tecnica
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