Ferrari's 2023 F1 car has lost weight, going even below the limit: Reports

As per reports, Ferrari's 2023 F1 car has lost weight, perhaps going even below the 796kg limit. The team had a pacey car in 2022 but failed to sustain a championship challenge against Red Bull and Max Verstappen.

Going below the 796kg limit will allow the team to add ballast to the car to help improve its balance and performance, should it choose to do so. The Italian team struggled with tire degradation in 2022, leading to stellar performances on Saturdays, but poor showings on Sundays. Red Bull's RB18 was able to manage its tires a lot better than the Maranello-based team's F1-75, leading to frequent race wins for the Austrian team.

Sources suggest Ferrari has developed a new lightweight chassis for 2023 which will help manage its tires and give it a better lap time overall. The success of the team's efforts, however, will not be known until the new car is fully assembled and finds its way to a weighing scale. There are also reports that Red Bull has managed to create a chassis 3kgs lighter than the championship-winning RB18. Given the team's reduced wind tunnel testing time, however, it is unclear whether this new chassis will hold up to the rest in 2023.

The Scuderia's 2023 car is currently codenamed the 675 and is set to be unveiled on February 14th, 2022.

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Carlos Sainz reveals Ferrari's fuel advantage in 2022

Carlos Sainz has claimed that Ferrari's partnership with fuel-supplier Shell gave it an advantage in the 2022 F1 season. The famous British fuel supplier has prior experience with 10% ethanol fuel, which was made mandatory in the sport in 2022.

Ferrari has a long history with Shell, having been partners since 1929. F1 mandated that all cars run on a fuel that has 10% ethanol starting in 2022, giving the Maranello-based team a head-start due to its partnership with Shell. As per Sainz, Shell has spent a few years refining its fuel technology with 10% bio-ethanol fuel.

Carlos Sainz reflected on this advantage for Ferrari, saying:

"This season it was mandatory to race with 10% bio-ethanol fuel. Looking at this season, I think it gave us an advantage that Shell is so strong with creating the fuel with 10% bio-ethanol. They have experience with it and have worked hard in recent years to create the highest-quality version. Because they have created an excellent product, as a driver the difference from last year was not noticeable. This is because they have worked hard in the last few years on the project with 10% bio-ethanol and they will do the same with creating the 100% sustainable fuel in 2026."

It will be interesting to see whether the team can capitalize on a lighter car, better fuel understanding, and a new team principal in 2023 - finally giving Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz a car worthy of dethroning Max Verstappen and Red Bull.