Ferrari Reveals Updated SF-23 & Makes Debut Run At Fiorano

Ferrari has launched its successor to the F1-75, the SF-23 which will be the Scuderia's challenger to win its first world constructor's title in 15 years. The car is an overhaul of the concept that debuted last year and also has amendments to the ride height as prescribed by the FIA regulations for the 2023 season. At the launch event, which happened at the Maranello campus, Charles Leclerc even took the car for a shakedown on the Fiorano track, something that is a rarity amongst F1 car unveils. 

The launch also happened with Ferrari supporters in the stands and the event happened in the format of a mini concert. 

Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna also declared that it is a "single seater" with unprecedented speed and is visually a thing of beauty. Like last year, one thing is quite clear that the new ground effect Ferrari single seaters are dramatic and very beautiful cars. 

Ferrari retains the side pods from last year but they are not as deep and the front suspension is different while the aerodynamics are an evolution from the concept that came out last year. There is also a new cooling system with revised slots. 

Ferrari's new team principal Fred Vasseur oversaw a coin toss between Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr which Leclerc won. This meant the Monegasque got the opportunity to be the first one to drive the SF-23 followed by 3 laps for Sainz. 

“Our 2023 car is an evolution of the one we raced last year. But, in reality, it has been completely redesigned," ” explained Ferrari’s head of chassis Enrico Cardile.

“On the aerodynamic side, we increased vertical downforce, to adapt further to the new aero regulations and achieve the desired balance characteristics. The suspension has also been redesigned, to support aerodynamics and increase the range of adjustments that can be made to the car at the track. The most obvious changes are in the area of the front suspension where we have moved to a low track rod. The front wing is also different, as is the construction of the nose, while the bodywork is a more extreme version of what we saw last season," he added. 

Ferrari is rumoured to have made a 30 bhp gain in horsepower despite an engine development freeze. But all these improvements have reportedly come via changes for reliability reasons as Ferrari's power unit failed numerous times which resulted in not really challenging Red Bull for the world title. 

“PUs have been frozen since last year, including fluids, oil, and fuel and the only modifications allowed are those related to reliability, which was our Achilles Heel last season. We focused on the internal combustion engine and the electric motors. At the same time, we tried to capitalise on the experience gained on track last season and looked at all the feedback and signs of weakness from the PU components we used. We also revised our assembly procedures," said head of engine Enrico Gualtieri. 

“We tried to understand the root causes of the problems we encountered on track and used all our available tools to try and solve them. It involved all areas, from design to experimentation to try and test new solutions in a very short space of time. The work never ends, based on continuous improvement of the components to try and reach the required level of reliability," he added. 

Ferrari is expected to make the biggest jump in power unit performance. And many teams may not be happy about this, but Christian Horner from Red Bull did say because of reliability issues Ferrari did turn down its engine last year.