With only five races left in this long Formula 1 season, some teams have already finished developing their 2024 cars, while others have kept resources and budgets for the season’s finale. This is useful for accumulating data on projects and solutions they will adopt in the upcoming season.
This week, the circus arrived in the Americas to compete in the triple-header of the USA, Mexico, and Brazil, which will also feature two Sprint Races at COTA and Interlagos.
The Circuit Of The Americas in Austin is a complete and fascinating circuit with an unusual uphill start and the first left turn just 200 meters from the line. The track features a mix of medium-speed and slow corners, where good traction is essential. The tarmac is somewhat uneven but not among those that stress the tires the most.
Thanks to the timely photos published by Spanish reporter Albert Fabrega, we can take a first look at the aerodynamic configurations and updates brought by various teams to Austin. The standout teams are Mercedes, Aston Martin, and Haas.
Mercedes
The three-pointed star team is presenting its last set of updates for 2023 in Austin, which is quite understandable considering they have already changed their aerodynamic concept twice this season. The budget and CFD hours cap imposes significant limits on such important changes. They will introduce a new floor on the W14 (B?C?), expected to provide performance improvements (estimated to be around one-tenth of a second) and serve as an initial test for the 2024 concept. The focus is on reducing porpoising and extending the operational window at various ground heights, emphasizing the quest for a more consistent performance across different tracks rather than simply seeking more downforce.
Haas
For a detailed analysis of the extensive and somewhat revolutionary update package by the American team, click here. In the photos, you can see changes in sidepods, air intakes, engine covers, and the floor’s edge.
Aston Martin
The Silverstone-based team, after a strong start to the season, lost its way with developments, progressively losing ground to other teams. As project leader Fallows stated, some updates will be introduced in Austin on the AMR23, and the benefits will be assessed, this time with reasonable optimism: “It’s a pity that we have to face another Sprint. We would like more time to analyze the data to understand the change in car behavior. It will be a challenge for us to acquire all the knowledge as quickly as possible. If we do everything right, we should be reasonably competitive in Austin.” Among the novelties for the season’s end is certainly a new floor, with mechanics repeatedly testing the flexibility of the rear edge to avoid sanctions.
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Alfa Romeo
On the C43 as well, a new floor will debut in Austin to reduce porpoising on a bumpy track, likely forcing teams to lift their cars off the ground.
Ferrari
The Scuderia has publicly announced that it has halted development on the SF-23, focusing solely on the 2024 project. Until the end of the season, we will only see setup adaptations and variations of configurations used in previous events. The Ferrari that will hit the track in Austin is similar to the one seen in Japan, where the drivers had a tough time finding the right balance between the slow and fast sections of the circuit. Complicating matters at the bumpy Austin circuit is the need to raise the car off the ground to avoid porpoising and bottoming, and we know that the SF-23 loses a lot of downforce and stability when it can’t travel close to the ground.
Comparison of Rear Wing Configurations
The significant difference in downforce between Red Bull and other teams is always striking, although we should be used to it by now. The Milton Keynes-based team has consistently chosen configurations with much more pronounced rear wing profiles, and the RB19 is always among the fastest cars on the straight, thanks to its great aerodynamic efficiency. It’s the one that benefits the most in terms of speed with DRS open. In this case, the team closest to Red Bull in terms of downforce is Mercedes.
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