Super Formula drivers have expressed doubts that the introduction of the new SF23 car will make it easier for a driver to closely follow the car in front.
The 2023-spec Japanese single-seater series car, an updated version of the previous SF19, features revised aerodynamics aimed at reducing downforce and making it easier for cars to follow closely.
However, several drivers have said, based on their experience of following other cars during this month’s pre-season test at Suzuka, that the changes have not made a huge difference in this regard.
B-Max Racing’s Nobuharu Matsushita was among those to voice this opinion, though he noted that the slipstream effect has increased as a result of increased drag with the new aero package.
“Dirty air is the same, if not more,” Matsushita told Motorsport.com. “When you’re on an attack lap and you see someone in front, it’s already affecting the downforce a lot. I’m not sure we can get any closer to them.
“Efficiency is greater with the trailer. But more trailer means more [dirty air] effect in the corners That’s what I hear in the corners.”
Both Dandelion Racing’s Tadasuke Makino and Ukyo Sasahara, filling in for the injured Kenta Yamashita at Kondo Racing, echoed Matsushita’s opinion about the SF23’s increased slipstream effect.
Makino told Motorsport.com: “Drag is huge. When I was following another car, the trailer was huge, so we can slip a lot. But we still lost a lot of downforce in the corners.
“I don’t know exactly how it will work in a race situation, but it might be difficult.”
Sasahara added that the increased current might work well at Fuji with its long start-finish straight, but less so on other tracks: “The drag means that at Fuji there it might mean more struggle in the straights, but in the corners maybe not.”
One feature many drivers have noticed with the new SF23 is a relatively large loss of rear downforce compared to the front, which tips the car’s balance towards oversteer.
Tomoki Nojiri said he believes this change means it will be difficult to get traction out of the slow corners needed to challenge the driver in front.
“When you enter a high-speed corner like corner 1, the grip is good, but it’s easy to lose the rear in slower corners”, explained the two-time champion. “This is a feature that I personally doubt can create better races.
“Even if the loss of downforce when following another car is less, there’s not a lot of downforce overall, so I think it will be difficult to get good traction.”
Additional reporting by Kenichiro Ebii
