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Rampf added that, “The 2003 season soon made us realise where our weakness was. Owing to the fact that our new wind tunnel will not be operational until after the roll-out of the C23, we had to find another way of designing a good car with optimum prerequisites for further development during the course of the season. This approach made it possible for us to reach our stated objective.”
The mechanical development has been focused primarily on achieving further component stiffness without increasing weight. “The C22 already allowed us to drive with a lot of ballast. This results in a low centre of gravity as well as enabling highly flexible weight distribution, which is a critical factor for future tyre development,” Rampf explains. That the weight of the C23 has been reduced despite these measures is attributable to the all-new PETRONAS engine, which is lighter than the unit powering the C22 last year. For the first time, Sauber will be receiving the same type of engine Ferrari are using.
For the front suspension, the engineers decided to abandon the twin keel concept. The front lower wishbones are now connected to a central mounting post. “If you try to achieve higher stiffness, this is one of the areas yielding significant benefits,” Rampf says.
To comply with the exact dimensions specified by the new regulations, the engine cover, in the lateral view, had to be enlarged notably.
The inboard ends of the rear suspension are attached to the PETRONAS engine and the Ferrari seven-speed gearbox. The outboard components, such as uprights and wheel hubs, have been taken from the C22 and subjected to further development. In this area, too, the main focus has been on achieving higher stiffness.
Changes in regulations have created completely new prerequisites for the rear wing, which, instead of the previous three, may now only have two upper elements. Equally new are the endplates, which have been extended by 100 millimetres towards the rear. Decreasing the number of elements reduces the maximum downforce of the rear wing, and thus the entire car, significantly. This reduction of downforce resulting from the technical regulations will force the drivers to use maximum downforce on most of the tracks. “That’s why,” says Rampf, “The entire area of the rear wing will play an important role for the continued development of the car during the course of the season.”
The early roll-out scheduled for 14 January will give Sauber’s engineers sufficient time to subject the C23 to extensive tests, thus assuring that the team will be optimally prepared for the Melbourne season opener in March.
