The areas each team must address ahead of 2023 F1 development war
Teams are working to sign off upgrades to be manufactured and freighted to Azerbaijan during the fallow period in the calendar, which allows for new parts to be bolted on sooner and improve performance for a greater amount of time. The cost cap also deters expensively transporting excess items, which means that a raft of new components are expected to break cover this weekend in Baku. Each squad has its own key areas to focus on, such as Williams focusing on the longer-term development of the FW45 while addressing car behavior on entry to slower-speed corners. AlphaTauri needs to address its low-speed cornering habits and excess drag, while Alfa Romeo must refine excessive aerodynamic drag to become competitive in the speed traps. Haas needs to manage the Pirellis better, while Alpine would benefit from superior peak downforce. Baku is critical for McLaren, which needs to address a lack of overall downforce that has left it falling behind other Mercedes engine customers. Finally, Ferrari must address its major operational shortcomings of last season and its lack of downforce. Mercedes must improve the rear-end stability and bring more downforce to the back of the car to address complaints of a fundamental handling imbalance.