Silverstone: Ferrari using new SF-23 diffuser from Austria | 2023 British GP. Ferrari using new SF-23 diffuser from Austria.

Ferrari arrives at Silverstone with the new diffuser, which had already made its appearance in the promising Austrian Grand Prix. The Prancing Horse is going back on its steps, abandoning a geometry introduced in the Australian Grand Prix of the previous season and maintained solely by the Maranello team. Ferrari continues its development, taking a different approach when it comes to the compromise between drivability and performance.

Change of course
Frederic Vasseur, Jock Clear, the drivers, and every member of the Maranello team have been repeating for some time now that the development of the SF-23 is not aimed at adding further performance to the car. On the contrary, the goal is to reduce the nervousness and unpredictability of the Red car, instilling more confidence in the drivers to allow them to push the limits of the car’s capabilities for an extended period. The problem particularly affects race phases, where the pace of the two drivers at the beginning of the year was highly inconsistent.

The impression is that under the Scuderia’s previous technical management, development was driven by a compromise more focused on absolute performance rather than drivability. A telling example was the case of the floor introduced in France, designed to increase downforce. However, the side effect was a change in the car’s behavior, as expected from simulations but still accepted. The technical priorities for the 2023 Formula 1 championship, however, are different, with the Italian side now focused on improving drivability by revisiting some solutions from the F1-75 single-seater.

The new diffuser
During the 2022 Australian Grand Prix weekend, Ferrari tested a new diffuser during practice sessions, which then made its race debut in Barcelona. The Prancing Horse created a subtle extension of the diffuser’s keel, which was subsequently retained in the 2023 F1 design. However, in Austria, the SF-23 abandoned this geometry, moving closer to the more traditional shapes of Red Bull and the competition in general. The update primarily aims to correct the behavior in high-speed corners when the car travels close to the ground.

The new diffuser went unnoticed in Austria as it was not explicitly declared in the documents provided to the Federation, being implied in the update to the floor. However, the recent progress of the SF-23 can be attributed only partially to the aerodynamic updates. The analysis of the data collected during the Spanish Grand Prix has significantly improved the understanding of the car, leading to adjustments in the setup choices.