Sauber Alfa Romeo F1 Car Boasts Bold Rear Advances

The latest vehicle constructed by Sauber for its Alfa Romeo period in Formula 1 boasts “bold” engineering advancements at the back, according to the technical head.

Sauber introduced the Alfa Romeo C43 on Tuesday in the initial presentation of the season that showcases actual images of the 2023 car through a combination of digital renderings and a physical model.

The majority of the car’s design efforts were concentrated on its back, showcasing noticeable variations from its previous model including modified rear suspension, newly designed gearbox casing, and sidepods inspired by Red Bull – however, Technical Director Jan Monchaux declined to specify if the chassis is entirely new, stating only that it has undergone “modifications in certain parts.”

Monchaux stated that the purpose of the engineering advancements was to “unlock potential that wouldn’t have been feasible in the 2022 season,” with the design of the sidepods influenced by the Red Bull RB18 being a prime example, as it was not achievable in 2022 due to the cooling system utilized by Sauber.

Photos – Alfa Romeo F1 car 2023

Monchaux stated, “We aimed to be bold and take the next step in rear innovation, focusing primarily on the back of the car.”

“This opened up opportunities for us to implement solutions that were previously unavailable,” Monchaux continued.

“The approach we followed last year had reached its limit, and to reach the next level of performance, we had to make all those modifications,”

“So, it’s been a significant journey for us. As these are large, intricate components that needed to be reworked,” Monchaux concluded.

According to Monchaux, the team has focused heavily on the rear part of the car, with plans to develop the front throughout the season.

The variations between the physical model and digital renderings make it challenging to ascertain if either of them actually represents the authentic floor design for the C43.

For instance, the digital renderings depict an aggressively serrated edge on the floor, and the height of the floor does not seem to have been increased in accordance with the new 2023 rules.

Alfa Romeo has a scheduled test run at Barcelona later in the week, and any images that come out from that event might offer additional insights.

Monchaux stated that the car is “well-designed” and that Sauber has high expectations that it will consistently remain a top 10 contender in 2023, given the potential it is expected to unleash and the advancements the team has observed in the simulator to overcome its weakness in high-speed cornering from the previous year.

“We came to the conclusion that there were superior methods for directing airflow to the diffuser and between the rear tires, based on the changes to regulations,”

“However, due to the architectural choice we made, we were limited,” Monchaux continued.

Hence, it’s not an innovation, but instead a comparable solution that was already available in the network last year. This was something we couldn’t attain without a comprehensive revamp of the design, as Monchaux stated.

“The new bodywork and revised technique for the area between the rear tires have produced notable advancements in our high-speed performance, as seen thus far,” Monchaux stated.

Sauber Alfa Romeo F1 Sauber Alfa Romeo F1

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