P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Lofty winter expectations were soon lowered hours into F1 2023’s pre-season testing – so where did it all go so wrong for Ferrari this year? Mark Hughes explains + what it did to fix it
ng to push the limits of that concept even further. Unfortunately, it turned out that the concept had reached its performance limit, while Red Bull had made significant progress with their own design.
Ferrari’s reliance on the out-washing sidepod concept, which had worked well in the early part of the 2022 season, proved to be a disadvantage in 2023. As the team tried to extract more downforce from the concept, it led to a loss of airflow and an unpredictable rear-end snappiness in fast corners.
The team underestimated the development potential of Red Bull during the off-season, thinking that with some chassis tweaks and full power restored, they could continue where they left off in 2022. However, Red Bull had made significant advancements in both aerodynamics and suspension platforms.
The shape of the car’s aero map, particularly related to its performance in crosswinds, played a significant role in its struggles. The fat-fronted sidepods were designed to direct the front tire wake away from the car, but they couldn’t generate enough force along the floor edges like the more classic Red Bull design.
In summary, Ferrari’s performance in the 2023 season was hampered by the limitations of their out-washing sidepod concept, underestimating Red Bull’s development, and struggling with aerodynamic instability in crosswinds.
