Ferrari approaches the first competitive weekend of the 2023 Formula campaign with a lot of excitement. Despite the impressive form shown by Red Bull in the winter pre-season testing session, which took place last week in Sakhir, the Maranello team does not start defeated at all. And why should it. On the other hand, until now, we have only seen glimpses of the cars’ true performance.
Only during today will the Italian side start to get serious, aware that the possibilities of performing well are really many. The drivers know it, the technicians keep it in mind and this is also the hope of the top levels of the Ferrari management.
It’s useless to go around it. Considering the goal set for the 2023 Formula 1 championship, after a difficult 2022 season, the desire for redemption is really great. The means are not lacking. The operational reorganization implemented by Frederic Vasseur who seems to know his stuff, should help avoid past mistakes.
There have been many interesting innovations to streamline processes and improve procedures, making even the most complicated ones, easier to read and understand. A protocol that has to be followed to the letter, capable of lightening the pressure of the protagonists by granting a work tranquility that has been missing in Maranello since the times of Michael Schumacher, under Jean Todt’s management.
On a technical level, there are still some small problems. The Prancing Horse’s latest aero-mechanical engineering work is not a “simple” refinement as many have said. It would be too simplistic, once observed with extreme care, to define it in this way.
Several innovations characterize the SF-23 as compared to the F1-75 challenger: lowered chassis, different configuration of the nose, repositioned steering arm, revised splitter, redesigned keel under the car, modified flow management in the center of the single-seater, innovative wing profiles to eliminate the disturbance cockpit aerodynamics, vertical duct channel, revised side-pods and some small changes to the diffuser.
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Ferrari: the power unit is an the extra weapon
Another interesting aspect concerns the Maranello power unit. According to the information gathered by the Formula One Technical Analysis editorial team, the engine department is largely satisfied with the efforts made on the power unit side in relation to the results recorded on the track based on the data from pre-season testing.
The clause which is part of the regulatory body of the International Federation that regulates engine reliability, allowed the Italian technicians to work tirelessly over the last championship, with the aim of making various changes to the power unit to solve various problems that have negatively affected the performance of the F1-75 last season.
The rated power has several digits added to its value. More horsepower and greater efficiency of the hybrid system, elements which, especially during the race, should lead to a clear step forward and fix some of the problems that occurred in 2022. A weapon that, as we have already underlined in recent days, the historic Italian team intends to wield with strength and pride.
Inside the Ferrari Racing Division they are convinced that the propulsive factuality achieved will be able to make a big difference compared to last season, when the word “depowered” was too often associated with the V6 turbo engine called 066/7, prematurely taking Ferrari out of the battle for the F1 titles against Red Bull.
Ferrari: what to expect from the SF-23?
The second subtitle of the text posts a very challenging question. Answering this question is equivalent to winning the lottery. During Sakhir’s too short pre-season tests, we thoroughly analyzed the various aspects of Formula 1 cars. We did it through objective data which, however, given the very nature of the tests, cannot be fully corroborated by the track.
This is because we know, more or less, that during the pre-season all teams tend to hide the real performance so as not to provide too many details to their competitors. In this regard, there is an interesting fact to consider: the two Ferrari SF-23 cars, according to paddock rumors, would have completed long runs with a really large amount of fuel on board. Factor that penalizes lap times by increasing degradation.
If we add a cautious attitude and obsessive study of behavior on the track to map the car to this aspect, well… there should be a certain profit margin. There are still a few little setup issues to sort out which, theoretically, have received the necessary attention over the last week as we focus on the first round of the 2023 Formula 1 championship.
From what the editorial team of Formula One Technical Analysis has learned, although the concern for the result does not exist in Ferrari minds, the target for the weekend has only one desire: to do everything possible to try and win. According to current calculations estimated by Ferrari engineers, a certain gap from Red Bull exists. However it is not as big as one might think. It remains to be seen whether or not this scenario will correspond to reality.
