The wrinkle on the nose of the Ferrari SF-23 in a straight line is a “mistake”
During the first day of winter testing in Bahrain, we could notice the Ferrari SF-23 having a rather strange nose. A concave fold formed on the nose in the middle of the straight line, causing some reactions but ultimately being just a mistake.
The weight constraints on cars of these new generations are very significant. Not all teams are at the minimum weight required by the FIA, and as long as they are not, they lose a lot of time per lap compared to their competitors.
To reduce weight, solutions are used such as reducing the amount of paint. Teams can save a few hundred grams or even up to 1 kilogram. However, other means are used, such as reducing the thickness of certain non-essential carbon parts for safety purposes.
Thus, Ferrari has reduced the thickness of the carbon on its front wing since last year. Already last year, it could be seen that by pressing lightly with a finger, the nose was very flexible. Therefore, it is not a desire to produce any sort of dynamic solution in a straight line, but rather the consequence of the wind pressure on the very lightweight carbon nose.
Jean Alesi confirmed to us yesterday that Ferrari had forgotten to put a foam behind the nose allowing to keep the nose in place correctly.
These solutions to lighten the single-seaters are not important for safety because this part of the front wing does not serve as impact reduction in the event of a frontal collision. Indeed, it is the beginning of the cockpit that absorbs the impact in the event of a collision.
