Well maybe i was "wrong" (even though last year was very different with many reports saying the car was super quick etc.)
Huge info dump from Nugnes
https://it.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-fe ... /10557229/
Some highlights:
- New trasmission with 20mm less width and same length in order to have a bigger diffuser "slide" (i don't know if it's the correct technical term as i translated from italian "scivolo") --> Not easy to achieve the same reliability standards as the previous spec
- Rear suspension will remain Pull - Rod. Revised geometry in order to increase the "anti squat" effect
- Front suspension will be revised to follow the anti dive "concept"
- Much bigger undercut under the sidepods
- Lighter chassis
Here you can find the article translated with chat gpt:
According to rumors, the length of the gearbox will not change, so the wheelbase of the 676 will not change significantly compared to the SF-23, but the effort has been made to gain about 20 mm on each side in width. The advantage will be to have a larger diffuser slide, capable of making the car more efficient, which, at least on paper, should generate more downforce with the body, allowing the reduction of wing resistance and allowing for profiles with smaller cord and incidences.
The exercise is more complex than it may seem for three reasons: a narrower transmission must achieve the same levels of torsional resistance to avoid stiffness losses that would have detrimental effects on the car's track handling. Ferrari technicians have set ambitious goals because it will be possible to achieve a small weight saving associated mainly with aerodynamic advantages. The other significant difficulty is fitting the internal part of the rear suspension.
As previously anticipated on Motorsport.com, the scheme will remain that of the pull rod, but the design of the linkages will be completely revised, following some Red Bull concepts (the RB19 is a push rod). We will see more misaligned arms both front and rear, seeking mechanical advantages. In the rear, the upper multilink arm will be significantly inclined downward to increase the anti-squat effect, while in the front, there will be a reversed design to favor anti-dive.
What are we talking about? We're talking about schemes useful to avoid excessive nose dive during braking and the equivalent squatting of the rear during acceleration. Being able to stabilize the behavior of the "box" would mean having a Ferrari less sensitive to changes in height from the asphalt and, therefore, with fewer sudden losses of load that are detrimental to tire health.
The side pods will be more sloping, following Red Bull's guidelines, and the radiator inlet will have a narrower frontal section to increase the airflow directed under the sidepod, in a decidedly more flared underbody compared to that of the SF-23 because the lower anti-intrusion cone will be embedded in the floor and will no longer protrude to disrupt the flow on the curb.
Even on the chassis, there is an expectation of weight gain, and we should not be surprised if we see the keel shape at the front that Adrian Newey bet on in 2023. In the Sports Management, there is a positive atmosphere, corroborated by the new arrivals from Red Bull and Mercedes, speaking of a red car capable of aligning with the choices of the best competition, without overturning its basic concepts.
The other Enrico, head of engines Gualtieri, is continuing to refine power unit management strategies for better use of hybrid technology, continuing a job that opened a new development path mid-season and allowed the SF-23 to extract all the potential it contained, also reducing tire wear thanks to a less brutal and aggressive delivery of electric power.
It is a huge change and effort and I hope they know what they are doing if true. I'm not sure if this 20mm is related to the end of the gearbox or where it meets the PU (which is where it is the widest), but it would make sense if its close to PU, where the diffuser ramp starts to expand.