As part of a tweaked ruleset for 2023, Formula 1 teams must declare and explain any modifications to car bodywork in a pre-event car display. The changes to the cars will typically be as part of their development path, or due to circuit-specific challenges, which has been the case with many teams who have brought modifications for the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. For example, the reigning world champions Red Bull have brought circuit-specific parts to the car with the aim of reducing drag. The RB19 will feature a new rear wing - complete with new rear wing end plates - and a new beam wing, with the aim of having a reduced profile curvature to reduce drag and tackle the high-speed nature of the track.
Ferrari opt for overall performance improvements
Ferrari elected to make three mains changes to their car for the Jeddah race, with not all updates focused on the high-speed nature of the circuit. The Scuderia have once again brought the single-pylon rear wing that was seen on Charles Leclerc's car in the FP1 session in Bahrain. The relevance of this rear wing is that it has a deep influence in improving the extraction of the airflow from underneath the car. This should help in maintaining the aerodynamic pressure behind the centre of gravity of the car, which is important to reduce the triggering conditions for porpoising. Aside from this, Ferrari adopted a revised front wing in the area of the flaps close to the endplates in order to dramatically increase the outwash capabilities of the car. It is also interesting to note that the side edge of the floor has also been revised with a different profile from its middle length towards the rear end in front of the rear tyres. This last change is not just to fit with the track layout, as we can instead consider it a planned development that increases the floor efficiency.
Mercedes make floor changes
As expected, the radical changes that Mercedes want to make to the W14 will be brought later in the season. For now, the team have brought a couple of updates aimed at optimising their current setup. Mercedes bring a new, lower-drag rear wing to the Jeddah circuit, and have also brought a new design of 'floor fence', which is a general performance upgrade, which they say is aimed at "improving diffuser performance".
The rest of the grid? Aston Martin go aggressive in Jeddah
Following on from their podium success in Bahrain, Aston Martin have brought a new front wing, rear wing and beam wing to tackle the higher-speed Jeddah venue, as they bid to prove the pace of the AMR23 at more than one circuit. McLaren are aiming to improve the "overall aerodynamic performance" with a tweak to the rearward floor shape of the diffuser. With the Williams car already appearing strong in high-speed conditions, the FW45 will have tweaks to the front wing, beam wing and engine cover to hopefully exploit their advantage. New components around the brake ducts could also be used to finetune their drag/downforce setup.
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