Cardile (Ferrari): “Red Bull demonstrates that the car without weak points exists”

RB19, an example of compromise

In F1, at the set-up level, on several occasions the teams are called upon to make a choice between what to sacrifice or favor between aerodynamic load and drag. 'Unloading' a car to reach top speed takes its toll in terms of tire degradation, on the contrary, preserving the tires 'prevents' you from attacking or defending yourself on the straight. An example of this dilemma this is what happened at Mercedes in Spa in Belgium where Lewis Hamilton decided to face the weekend with a W14 that was aerodynamically uncharged, while George Russell raced with a more loaded rear wing.

The former Williams driver ran a long stint at the start, making one stop less than the seven-time champion, who was instead faster in a straight line – but not enough to attack Leclerc's Ferrari – but more aggressive on the tyres. This speech had an exception, Red Bull, which showed off remarkable aerodynamic efficiency. There RB19 at the same time it was fast in a straight line and kind to the tyres, the perfect situation that laid the foundations for 21 victories out of 22 races in 2023.

Interviewed by the German newspaper Auto Motor und Sport the technical director of Ferrari Enrico Cardile he underlined that Red Bull is an example of the fact that there is an 'all-rounder' car capable of being fast in all conditions and on every type of track: “Is there always a price to pay when designing? Red Bull is the best example of the fact that there is an 'all-rounder' car capable of adapting to every situation, you just need to work hard and have the right objectives – Cardile's words – in 2023 the Ferrari SF-23 was very effective in sections characterized by slow corners or those where the engine power made the difference. At the end of last year it was exactly the opposite. For this reason we developed the aerodynamics over the winter specifically to work on our weakness in slow corners. But we paid a price for it. In the medium and fast corners we had less downforce.”