The Mastermind Behind Michael Schumacher’s Success Is Back With Ferrari. What Do We Know About Project 676?

When we think about Ferrari, Michael Schumacher comes to mind almost instantly. The early 2000s when the German driver won his 5 back-to-back championships was the most dominant era of Ferrari. On this note, there have been reports that the Maranello-based squad is actively involved with the man who designed the cars that propelled Schumacher to greatness. Rory Byrne has been helping Ferrari in the development of their 2024 challenger, known as ‘Project 676.’

Despite falling to 3rd place in the constructors’ championship in 2023, Ferrari showed promise in the final stretch of the season. The scarlet-red cars managed to secure 3 pole positions and 3 podium finishes in the last 5 races of the season. And with the involvement of Rory Byrne, the Italian outfit is looking to build on that momentum in 2024.

Ferrari is seeing aerodynamic gains in the wind tunnel for their 2024 challenger

When Frederick Vasseur announced the date for unveiling Ferrari’s 2024 challenger, he surprised the F1 community by hinting that the car will be 95% new compared to the SF-23. It looks like Rory Byrne has contributed to a majority of those changes. According to a report from formu1a.uno, recent wind-tunnel sessions at the factory have yielded a greater load relative to the aerodynamic efficiency, suggesting that there has been a shift in design philosophy.

The report suggested that Ferrari has implemented downwash sidepods to improve the car’s operating window, something the team struggled with in 2023. Comparison between the SF-23 and the new ‘676’ model revealed a recovery of 30 load points, which is equivalent to 9% of downforce. This should reflect a gain of about four and a half tenths. Carlos Sainz, who ran the simulator tests, also suggested that he experienced a difference in the car’s behavior, hinting at a step in the right direction for Project 676.

The potential gains reflected in the wind tunnel and the simulator should be taken with a grain of salt. There are a lot of other technical factors that will play a part in determining the actual gains when the rubber meets the road. Frederic Vasseur is well aware that his competitors will also find some gains over the winter and therefore maintains the perspective. “You can improve by 100 but if the others are improving by 120, you will look stupid. If they are improving by 80, you will look like a mega hero,” motorsports.com quoted Vasseur.

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Ferrari is also changing its philosophy in the design of the front wing of its Project 676 car to deal with the lack of the front-end grip.

Ferrari takes inspiration from RB19 for its new front-wing design

The SF-23 struggled with a poor front end, especially in medium and high-speed corners. This issue, rooted in the in-wash aerodynamic philosophy, prompted Ferrari to make in-season adjustments in 2023. However, the results were not what the team hoped for. Which is why they are now moving towards the Red Bull philosophy for 2024.

To solve the issues with the front end of the car, Ferrari is shifting away from the in-wash aerodynamic concept and embracing the outwash design first proposed and pioneered by Adrian Newey and Pierre Wache with the RB19. This includes changes to the front wing’s triangles and swinging arm, focusing on improving balance, high-speed corner performance, and reducing sensitivity under braking.

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Can Rory Byrne help propel Ferrari to its glory days once more? Share your thoughts in the comments below.