Ferrari and above all McLaren, They are the two teams that have arrived in Austria with very significant improvements. In the case of SF-23 by Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, a new front wing with a redesigned nose cone and a new floor, where the area at the entrance of the side gills stands out, through which the air enters below the bottom of the car and which is key to taking advantage of the ground effect of these cars. 70% of the aerodynamic support is generated in that area, which already saw a comprehensive redesign of the side pontoons in Barcelona.
These are the differences in the start of the side boxes that take in the air to generate the ground effect under the car, according to reports @AlbertFabrega
In the nose, a flatter integrated nose stands out, less resistant, and that is coupled in the first plane of the wing, this is one of the parts that can give pilots greater precision in turns and braking. and help the front tires suffer less degradation to raise the overall pace of the car in the race and greater flexibility in strategies.
Sainz is confident that it will be a complementary step to the one seen in Montmel, to become a regular tenant of the podium from now on. “There is a very big gap between Red Bull and us. To think that we are going to close it with an improvement is naive and surreal. If we can get close, yes, but if Red Bull brings an improvement soon the same thing will happen. It is always relative in the F1. The Barcelona package opens a new window of development for us, but it will be too optimistic to expect that we can be balanced with Red Bull, seeing how competitive they are. It won’t be easy because they have put an end to any opposition, but we will try”, said a cautious Sainz, who, like the rest, only had an hour of Free Practice to try out the new pieces, since then it goes to parc fermé for the two qualifications (the which is valid for Sunday and the Shootout on Saturday), in addition to the two races of the Sprint format.
McLaren, new bodywork
After a bad start to the year and the departure of the head of design, James Key, in Woking they try to take their biggest step of the year With improvements to the entire bodywork, new suspension geometries and even a new halo in its structure. They finally throw themselves onto some Red Bull-type pontoons and could become a serious threat to Alpine in the middle area. Those of Enstone have no news this weekend, as Aston Martin, not like that Red Bull, that comes with a modification in the part of the sides of the rear wing where it joins the top of the diffuser.
