Ferrari: why high-downforce setup at Marina Bay suits SF-23

Singapore’s Friday is painted red, with Ferrari securing a double one-two in both free practice sessions. No points or pole position have been secured yet, but the SF-23 put on the track by the Maranello team is undoubtedly competitive, unlike, for the second time, the RB19, which doesn’t satisfy its drivers or the technicians of Adrian Newey and Pierre Waché, even though Checo Perez completed a good long run in FP2. Mercedes has demonstrated the most balanced performance between Qualifying and Race simulations. The circuit could pose problems for them if they have to start from behind due to the difficulty of overtaking, as will the Aston Martin of a lightning-fast Fernando Alonso. Lando Norris, tasked with testing the updated MCL60, expressed satisfaction with his Friday but is far from the best.

Ferrari: The SF-23 requires many ‘compromises’ to be competitive. Rivals are not surprised by Sainz & Leclerc’s speed.
Ferrari arrived in Singapore with curiosity, especially from those outside the team, to verify the SF-23’s performance with the high-downforce wing, especially after the recent tests at Maranello, including a wet tire test at Fiorano. The initial indications might be a positive sign in this regard, but Singapore’s unique conditions are helping the Scuderia perform at its best, limiting the issues seen in Budapest and Zandvoort.

The SF-23 needs several elements to perform at its best, and thus, the combination of certain factors can greatly limit its performance. The major problem arises when Ferrari requires a lot of downforce and needs to handle medium to high-speed corners, especially those with long durations. This problem became exacerbated in Hungary, with an SF-23 that was very understeery and uncompetitive, and at Zandvoort, it led to using a lower-downforce wing, making the car much more unstable and unpredictable, although it was a better compromise than the maximum downforce wing. In Singapore, however, Ferrari can use such a solution because the corners are mostly low to medium speed, many are tight, and the track mainly involves stop-and-go sections, so there’s no need to stay in a corner for long or find the racing line. It’s also essential to note the sparks produced by the SF-23, especially on the new straight with DRS closed, indicating an aggressive approach to ride heights, without reaching the porpoising threshold that has severely limited the car’s performance in the past.

Suzuka could be an interesting test because, although it’s not a high-downforce track, the SF-23 will need to prove it can improve on a front-limited circuit where downforce and stability at high speeds are needed in long-duration corners. There, the SF-23 will have to show it has improved or replicate the performance at Silverstone, where it defended against a disappointing Aston Martin, a Mercedes on the SF-23’s level but far from Red Bull and McLaren’s pace.

Meanwhile, in Singapore, Enrico Cardile‘s technicians took a step back with the front wing, returning to a solution seen earlier in the year – with a more wavy upper flap – to increase some downforce in the central portion and enhance outwash effect in conjunction with the endplate. The SF-23 has stood out so far in straight-line speed and traction, performing well in dry conditions. In the long run, there was some rear overheating, but drivers and engineers are pleased with this initial balance and are confident there’s room to improve the setup. As Frederic Vasseur mentioned at the end of the day, “the focus will be on tire management. However, this has been our best Friday of the season, and it’s better to start from here than from the midfield.” Carlos Sainz, nonetheless, completed a convincing race pace simulation, about 2 tenths off Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez’s best times, with more laps and slightly older tires.

Rivals fear Ferrari, but Alonso excels over the long run, and Red Bull has room for improvement. McLaren finds downforce.
Fernando Alonso was very pessimistic at the end of the day, not getting off to a good start in the weekend that opens the Formula 1 Asian tour. Aston Martin lagged behind in dry qualifying simulations, but in FP2, it showed an interesting race pace with the good characteristic of preserving the rear tires better than the rivals. However, the AMR23’s problem seems to be the same as at the start of the season: finding a balance that allows it to light up the tires for a quick lap in qualifying without excessive tire wear in the race. Typically, the Silverstone car prefers, and is among the best at, managing tire life during races. But this can be a limitation in qualifying, where Alonso managed to stay ahead only of Red Bull, stating that “Ferraris are ahead and untouchable, and Red Bull will be strong tomorrow. We will be with Mercedes and McLaren.”

Regarding direct rivals, Lando Norris expressed satisfaction with the improvements, saying, “they are a step forward, and we’ve seen the improvements,” although he’s not happy about not being first and seeing Ferrari (today) so strong. The updated MCL60 has certainly provided benefits at low speeds and in traction. Comparing with Oscar Piastri offers useful insights but is not entirely accurate since the Australian is making his first outing on this track, with a car without updates. Nevertheless, there has been progress, and the Englishman confirms it, both in words and deeds, showing himself at the level of Aston Martin and Mercedes on the dry qualifying run and then attempting a positive soft tire long run, albeit very short. Mercedes was the most balanced car on average, without flashes and without declines in Qualifying and Race simulations, after a slightly challenging start to FP1. George Russell managed to get closer to Ferrari’s times in the qualifying simulation than others, and both he and Lewis Hamilton completed a similar number of laps on the long run, putting the W14 in the mix and leaving Hamilton saying, “I’ve never been this happy on a Friday this year.”

Red Bull, on the other hand, is in trouble when it comes to finding the quick lap, while a competitive Sergio Perez was seen on the race pace, unlike Max Verstappen, who didn’t feel comfortable all day. “We tried some things in FP2, some worked, some didn’t. We’ll work on it, but the gap is quite significant,” said the two-time world champion. It’s not an absolute novelty to see the RB19 struggling on Fridays, and curiously enough, it already happened in Monaco. Adrian Newey’s group today couldn’t find a satisfying mechanical setup and even adopted higher ride heights than usual for the RB19. In Milton Keynes, they find it more challenging to get the RB19 in the right operating window when dealing with uneven asphalt and bumps. The car tended to slide into and out of corners, causing balance issues that its drivers are not accustomed to. As in Monaco, however, there is room for improvement, but it will be necessary to understand whether – at least for Saturday, along with a perfect lap from the drivers – it will be enough to be competitive as they have been throughout the season or if they will indeed be vulnerable, not just to one team, as has already happened.