As reported by Autosport earlier, Ferrari is abandoning its long-running in-wash style sidepod concept for a Red Bull-style downwash design.
As our exclusive images show, the new Ferrari sidepods are a total revamp of what the SF-23 has run with so far.
The new version does away with the bathtub central section that has been a hallmark of the Ferrari cars since the start of 2022.
Instead, they feature a more horizontal upper surface that helps feed the airflow down into the diffuser area.
This is based on the Red Bull concept, which the Milton Keynes-based squad has utilised to boost the performance of its RB19 and is an idea copied by many other teams.
Ferrari’s downwash ramp variant is similar to the likes of Alpine, Aston Martin and Mercedes, in that it features the water-slide gulley atop the bodywork in order to drive airflow down to the rear section of the floor and coke bottle region.
Ferrari’s new sidepod design
This is no surprise though, as Ferrari has plenty of experience with this sort of surface contouring, given the outgoing bathtub-style solution it had before.
Ferrari has retained some of its original sidepod’s DNA though, as the inlet, undercut and S-shaped chassis duct all still feature, albeit with their function likely altered slightly.
Meanwhile, a small tweak has also been made to the mirror housings surrounding furniture, with the upper slat shortened to expose the outer section of the mirror body.
Ferrari’s decision to change sidepod concepts comes as it chases answers as to why its car is so quick over a single lap but struggles over race distances.
The team believes the problem lies with a peaky aero platform which means the drivers struggle more with a variation of grip levels and wind direction in races.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz praised the effort that the team had made in bringing the major upgrade to Spain.
“I think I cannot complain about the package we’re bringing here,” he said. “You cannot imagine the effort Maranello has done in trying to bring this package forward.
“It was supposed to come a lot later in the season and the whole factory was just flat out these last few months because of the situation to try and bring it earlier.”
Additional reporting Matt Somerfield and Filip Cleeren