Revealed: What Ferrari learned from Red Bull’s exposed floor images

Ferrari aerodynamics chief Enrico Cardile suggested copying the Red Bull floor would be both difficult and ineffective, having found they “do a lot of things differently from the competition”.

The Red Bull RB19 proved to be an almost unbeatable challenger in F1 2023, claiming a remarkable 21 grand prix wins out of 22, Ferrari inflicting the only defeat via Carlos Sainz’s victory in Singapore.

Rivals though were given a treat at the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix, as when Sergio Perez’s stricken RB19 was lifted away after a qualifying crash, the photographers went to work capturing a clear look at the underbody of the challenger.

Red Bull ‘do a lot of things differently from the competition‘

Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, Ferrari’s aero chief Cardile discussed the learnings that his team took from seeing the RB19 floor, though it is not a simple case of copy and paste.

Instead, while it must serve as an “inspiration” for how Ferrari look at their designs, the fact that the Red Bull floor shows they have gone down a vastly different route to rivals, means it will likely not be an easy one to follow.

“It’s part of our job to analyse the cars of our competitors,” said Cardile. “So it’s one more photo in our database.

“Even though our cars are different, it was interesting to analyse Red Bull’s floor because they do a lot of things differently from the competition.

“But to benefit from a photo, you have to look at it with the right glasses. You have to detach yourself from your own car and see the big picture.

“A one-to-one copy has never worked, and certainly not with these cars, where millimetres can make a big difference. But you can try to understand what they are trying to achieve with these shapes and draw inspiration from them.”

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Ferrari brought the fight to Red Bull early in F1’s ground effect era at the start of 2022, but since then it has been a one-sided affair in Red Bull’s favour.

And Cardile said Red Bull prove that an all-round strong challenger is possible under these regulations.

“Red Bull is the best example of the fact that there is an all-rounder,” said Cardile when asked if there is always a price to be paid with these cars. “You just have to work hard and have the right goals.”

Ferrari are on an extended run without F1 title success, having not tasted such glory since 2008.

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