Ferrari has done an excellent job during the week. As seen in the on-board analysis of the only Friday free practice, the technicians of the Prancing Horse have taken measures regarding tire management. The aim was to improve tire activation and maintaining the temperature window at low temperatures. Upstream of the qualifying session for the Belgian Grand Prix, we can say that the efforts made in this regard have paid off.
Belgian GP 2023/Telemetric Analysis Sector 1: Ferrari in line with Red Bull
In braking at turn 1, the DRS is closed, which can be activated on the short straight before the finish line (highlighted in green in the graphics). At this point, Charles Leclerc carries a higher speed, surpassing the Red Bull by about 6km/h. At La Source, the three cars under examination record the same speed, trying to take care of the exit leading to the descent towards Eau Rouge. However, Hamilton begins to lose fractions of a second.
At the first apex of the world-famous turn, the car from Maranello manages to cover the section 4km/h faster than the Mercedes, while the RB19 is the slowest of the three. The W14 maintains this slight advantage over the Austrian car until the beginning of the Kemmel straight. Then the DRS opens, pushing them into the beginning of the second sector where, as we can observe in the telemetric graph, Ferrari and Red Bull are neck-and-neck.
Belgian GP 2023/Telemetric Analysis Sector 2: Ferrari struggles at turns 9, 12, and 14
The second sector is the most technical, where Red Bull had an advantage in terms of downforce. At braking for turn 5, the SF-23 arrives with 2km/h less than the RB19, and through the chicane, Max carries 3km/h more minimum speed. Nevertheless, the red car seems to be at the same level in terms of change of direction, indicating a very responsive front end.
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Then there’s a bend where the Dutchman loses something at mid-corner, where the trajectories are also crucial. This leads to a medium-speed bend, where the Austrian car gains a lot: we’re talking about a significant 21km/h advantage over Ferrari, 6km/h better than Mercedes. In this section of the track, the gap to Ferrari reaches half a second. Turn 9 is very detrimental to the red car.
After the chicane, there’s a downhill towards the famous Blanchimont, a high-speed left-hand bend where drivers aim to go full throttle. In this area, Charles Leclerc manages to maintain a stable gap. The W14 of Hamilton, on the other hand, loses a lot, as at mid-corner, it is forced to lower the minimum speed by about 10km/h.
This brings us to a medium-speed chicane, where Charles loses another tenth. While at the last corner of Sector 2, even though Ferrari is faster by 2km/h compared to Red Bull, it still loses something on the exit. The negative delta of the SF-23 accumulates at specific points: turns 9, 12, and 14.
Belgian GP 2023/Telemetric Analysis Sector 3: Ferrari almost on pole
Finally, we reach the third sector, which essentially consists of a long straight and a slow chicane that leads back to the finish line straight. In these final kilometers, the Ferrari of the young Monegasque talent manages to maintain a stable gap to the blue racing-colored car. On the other hand, the seven-time world champion British driver, through a perfect drive, manages to slightly reduce the differences, lowering the gap to the RB19.
The entry into the famous bus stop chicane is very good for the Maranello car, and at the first apex of the left-right, the Ferrari driver is able to cover the section even 8km/h faster than the current leader of the 2023 racing campaign. However, the second apex is very critical for the SF-23, leading to a not-so-good performance on the exit. Until that moment, a few meters before the finish line, Charles Leclerc was virtually in pole position.
Source: Alessandro Arcari and Niccoló Arnerich for FUnoanalisitecnica.
