As part of an upgrade delivered at the Spanish Grand Prix, the Italian squad abandoned the bathtub in-wash sidepod design that it had used since the start of 2022.
Instead, the team switched to a more Red Bull-style of downwash solution that is aimed at changing the way airflow over the car interacts with the floor.
Having faced a difficult start to the year, the change in sidepods at this time appears to be a response to the way that Ferrari has been unable to get on terms with Red Bull so far this season.
However, Ferrari’s Jock Clear, whose official job title is driver coach for Charles Leclerc, says the changes are the result of months of work at the factory to unlock more performance for the SF-23.
And he says Ferrari only gave the green light to such a dramatic change because the new design delivered a critical aero boost rather than it being motivated by following Red Bull’s ideas.
Asked by Autosport about why Ferrari had changed sidepod concept now after being so wedded to its in-wash solution, Clear said: “When people launch their car, they're all convinced about it. So, nobody says: ‘we put these sidepods on, but we weren't convinced about them.’
“We are all convinced about what we had. But then we all have to learn from what other people are doing and also what we’re doing.
Source: Autosport