It’s no longer a well-kept secret that the Ferrari SF-23 struggles significantly with wind and high-speed corners. Even in Qatar, we witnessed a car that had difficulty delivering performance and didn’t allow Leclerc and Sainz to perform at their best. In particular, we heard many radio comments about the wind and how it made driving challenging for both drivers. In Formula 1, wind plays a crucial role in a car’s performance, and the SF-23 seems to be much more sensitive to it than other cars on the grid. Ferrari needs to pay close attention to this issue with an eye on 2024.
How Is Aerodynamic Load Generated?
Formula 1 cars generate aerodynamic load through various components, with the main ones being the front and rear wings and the underbody. This load, also known as downforce, is a vertical force that pushes the car down, increasing the grip generated by the tires and, consequently, the cornering performance.
For a wing, whether on an airplane or a racing car, lift can be calculated using a relatively simple formula:
L = 1/2 * ρ * S * CL * V^2
Here, ρ is air density, S is the surface area over which the airflow passes, CL is the lift coefficient of the wing profile, and V is the airspeed impacting the profile. The last value, V, plays a significant role in the formula as it’s squared. In fact, if the speed were to double, the generated lift would become four times greater.
Why Can Wind Pose a Problem for Formula 1 Cars?
To understand why wind plays a crucial role, we need to focus on the value of V. If you notice, we earlier referred to V as the airspeed, not the car’s speed. This is a fundamental concept to grasp. In still air, with no wind, the airspeed impacting the car’s wings is exactly the same as the car’s speed, and, therefore, the aerodynamic load at a specific point on the track remains constant from lap to lap.
Now, consider the presence of gusts of wind, often mentioned as “gusts” in team radio communications. These gusts have a speed that depends on various factors, and we’ll denote it as VG. Let’s put ourselves in the situation of a car entering a corner, where under normal conditions, the airspeed impacting the wing is VA. Now, if a headwind gust were to hit the car head-on, the speed used in the aerodynamic load calculation would no longer be just VA, but VA + VG. This means the downforce produced is greater compared to the previous lap, and the driver can carry more speed through that corner. Remember that in the lift formula, speed has a quadratic effect, so even small changes in speed lead to significant variations in load.
Conversely, if the gust were to be a tailwind, the relative airspeed would be VA – VG, resulting in less load being generated. You can clearly see how wind can significantly impact a car’s performance.
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The most significant problems arise when these gusts are not constant, and the wind’s direction changes from lap to lap. This forces drivers to take on corners “blindly,” not knowing how the car will behave. If the wind direction were constant, drivers could adapt their driving style more easily. For instance, if there were a headwind, braking distances would be reduced, and, as mentioned earlier, cornering loads would increase. The opposite would occur with a tailwind.
Problem with the floor, especially on the Ferrari
So far, we’ve discussed only headwinds and tailwinds, but gusts can also come from the side relative to the car’s body. Teams spend countless hours in wind tunnels studying a car’s behavior in such conditions because it’s a complex phenomenon. In general, and oversimplifying, crosswinds create an asymmetry in the car’s generated load, causing it to become unbalanced and more prone to understeer or oversteer.
The underbody is particularly sensitive to crosswinds, as it alters the aerodynamic map. This map is crucial for any aerodynamic department because it describes the load values generated by the underbody in various conditions of ride height, front and rear pitch angles, and roll angles. Each team’s aerodynamicists aim to maintain the aerodynamic map while the car is on the track. This is why many hours are spent in wind tunnels and using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to make the car’s platform as stable and “wind-insensitive” as possible.
The Ferrari SF-23 is especially sensitive to crosswinds. The Maranello-based car appears to have a significant deficiency in this regard compared to its rivals. Much work will need to be done in preparation for the 2024 car to address this weakness.
The Ferrari SF-23’s Wind Sensitivity Issues
The Ferrari SF-23 has shown itself to be highly sensitive to wind variations since the start of the season. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have frequently complained about the car’s drivability in windy weather conditions, especially in fast corners. Naturally, we can’t know the exact reason for the issues with the SF-23; only Ferrari’s aerodynamicists have that knowledge. However, it seems that the vortical structure generated by the underbody does not create an efficient “pneumatic skirt” that “seals” the underbody under all conditions.
In particular, crosswinds seem to significantly disrupt the SF-23’s aerodynamic map, leading to sudden losses of load and the instability that is often visible in on-board views. It’s no coincidence that many of the efforts made in Maranello have been focused on the underbody area, which this year has been seen in four different specifications. This has allowed Ferrari to reduce the gap between the car’s underbody and the track surface. Running lower to the ground enhances the vortices’ system, but the problem has not been completely resolved.
Limited Developments, but Ferrari’s Focus Must Be on 2024
Naturally, it is very challenging to make “revolutionary” changes during the ongoing season. The cost cap and the absence of on-track testing place strong limits on car development. Moreover, many of the car’s geometries are linked to the chassis shape and the placement of impact structures.
For these reasons, it was not possible to entirely resolve the SF-23’s issues, which are still quite apparent. Managing the aerodynamic map is a delicate task, but in preparation for 2024, Ferrari must absolutely work to address the issue of excessive sensitivity to the wind. The new project will be based on a completely new chassis, and for this reason, we may see shapes very different from the current one. Only time will tell if Project 676, the codename for the Ferrari 2024 car, will address all the problems seen in this season’s car.
Source: f1ingenerale
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