Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz remained in Bahrain at the end of the three days of Formula 1 pre-season testing session, while the top management of Scuderia Ferrari returned to Maranello: the enormous amount of data that was collected during the Sakhir tests last week had to be analysed, in order to prepare in the best possible the first Grand Prix of the 2023 Formula 1 season, which takes place this weekend.
Those who expected an agitated first de-briefing after seeing the SF-23 finish in fourth place with Charles Leclerc and fifth with Carlos Sainz in the only official testing session were probably surprised.
There is no anxiety in the Ferrari Racing Department, except for the little time available before leaving for the Persian Gulf: Fred Vasseur’s statements commenting on the pre-season tests were in line with the analysis that was made back in Maranello:
“To sum up, at the end of the three days I see that the performance is there, but obviously we don’t know much about where the opponents are. I know you’ve gone through all the stints… but you’ll also have seen that we completed a lot of tests with different things. Some worked well right away, some less so. I’m quite happy with what we did in the three days. The most important thing in winter testing is being able to put in the kilometres, because when for some reason you don’t succeed, it’s a disaster.” – the French manager pointed out.
The objective of the tests was not to look for performance, but to understand the SF-23 challenger, finding in the long runs the key reasons for the rather poor lap times and the causes that generated the tyre degradation, more with the C3 than with the C1, two of the three compounds selected by Pirelli for the first round of the 2023 world championship.
Ferrari has changed the approach to the season: in the race simulations the SF-23 has always run with a lot of fuel in the tank. So fuel was a constant, while the variables were ground clearance, suspension stiffness and aerodynamic adjustments. The SF-23 started the runs with at least 80 kg of fuel, also topping up between one stint and another.
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!
It’s normal that, lapping in these conditions, the drivers had a lot of trouble understanding what the car’s performance threshold is, while Red Bull performed with much more competitive times both in the long runs and in the flying lap. The frowning face of Charles Leclerc on Saturday afternoon in the pit lane expressed an emotional state and dissatisfaction more than words, although David Sanchez, Head of Vehicle Concept, tried to explain to the Monegasque how he can change the SF-23 behaviour when it comes to serious business next weekend.
The systematic work has allowed Ferrari to highlight the window in which the SF-23 is able to operate, understanding the minimum heights needed to avoid the appearance of porposing.
The bouncing, which is a harmful phenomenon that appears at high speeds and was a big issue in 2022, was soon limited (but not solved), while the best balance of the car was not found with the introduction of the new Pirelli front tyres, with a more rigid construction useful for reducing endemic understeer.
The suspicion is that in pursuing the efficiency of the RB19, the car was not using the ideal aero configuration (the medium-load wing from Canada was used at the rear) and, perhaps, it was necessary to find grip for the tires with a more resistant configuration.
A new wing was fitted on Saturday morning featuring a mono-pylon strut and a longer chord main profile. A comparison with the Canadian version was envisaged in the plans, but the sudden failure of the DRS control forced the Maranello technicians to postpone testing this solution, returning to the initial one.
Ferrari has ventured into the minefield of Red Bull which has been suffering for years with a problematic DRS looking for the lightness and aero-elasticity of materials. On a positive note, the Maranello has therefore become aware of a problem that otherwise would have emerged during the Grand Prix weekend.
In short, the Italian side hid a bit, looking with a certain stubbornness for the limits and problems of the SF-23. And at the end of perhaps overscrupulous work, some results emerged: for the first race weekend, a different adjustment of the rear suspension is needed. By acting on the mechanical part of the SF-23, the right path of development could be found.
If the change produces results, then we will see the team sticking to the most efficient aerodynamic configuration, while moving to the more loaded wing if the track’s response is not that of the simulations. Let’s therefore expect a Ferrari capable of having its say in qualifying (in tests the times were achieved with 35 kg of fuel!) and which will try to defend itself in the race pace to limit a gap that has not yet reduced.
Leave a Reply