The SF-23 debuted an upgraded floor design with revised geometry in front of the rear wheels for the Miami Grand Prix, which was conceived to make the car more “benign”.
Then Leclerc crashed in Q3 before he and team-mate Sainz bemoaned “zero flexibility” in the package that meant they were unable to manage their tyres to swap strategies mid-race.
Leclerc finished where he started in seventh in Florida, while Sainz was classified fifth.
Although the duo had initially reported during Friday practice that the car was less spiky, Ferrari says making the car increasingly “predictable” remains top of the priority list.
Jock Clear - who fronted the Ferrari car technical presentation to the media last weekend - reckoned the SF-23’s temperament was a blend of set-up and aerodynamic characteristics. Clear, Leclerc’s driver coach, explained: “It's always a combination of both.
“With a new aero package over the winter, we've taken a while to find the set-up.
“This floor contributes to getting the car in a better window, as the drivers were reporting earlier it is peaky.
“We need to get rid of some of that peakiness. That's probably the main focus at the moment, to make the car a bit more benign so the drivers have a bit more confidence.”
Source: Autosport