'Ferrari deploys filming day to test upgrade ahead of GP Austria'
Ferari will do several laps at the Fiorano circuit on Tuesday to test, among other things, a new front wing, which the team would like to take to Austria, Formu1a.uno reports.
Twice a year, teams are allowed to use their current cars outside race weekends, namely during filming days. Whereas on paper these days are meant for commercial purposes, these days are mainly used to provide additional information about the cars. For instance, almost all teams use their first 'film day' prior to winter testing.
All teams are permitted to only drive 100 kilometers during these events. Furthermore, all teams have to use harder compounds, so that they will not gather too much data concerning their overall performance.
Change of policy
Normally Ferrari uses that second filming day at Monza, prior to their iconic home Grand Prix. However, team boss Fred Vasseur is taking a different tack. The Frenchman has decided to send the car onto the track prior to the Austrian Grand Prix to test a new front wing, among other things. The Italian racetrack wants to catch up with Red Bull as soon as possible and will therefore miss no opportunity to accelerate the development of the SF-23.
On top of this, the teams are facing a sprint weekend at the Red Bull Ring. This means that after the first free practice, it will be all about the points straight away. So Ferrari will not have much time to test the new parts there.