F1 rumours: Ferrari shave off two to three kilograms with F1 2023 challenger

It has been reported that the 2023 Ferrari challenger will come out of the blocks two to three kilograms lighter than the F1-75.

As Formula 1 introduced all-new Technical Regulations for the 2022 campaign, car weight was a big issue for many of the teams at the start of the season.

This played a major role in Alfa Romeo's highly impressive start for example, since their C42 was lighter than many rival machines.

It became quite the battle of diets then with the 2022 challengers, and for 2023, Ferrari have reportedly made a significant gain in this department.

Formu1a.uno are reporting that the 2023 Ferrari, currently holding the project name '675', will be between two and three kilograms lighter than the weight of the F1-75. As for how this will impact the team on the track, it is reported that this will be worth a tenth of a second per lap.

The report adds that on February 11, at 11.25am Italian time, Ferrari will reveal their 2023 challenger at Maranello, before the world then gets to see their creation during the launch on February 14.

It is also stated that during the February 21 F1 Commission meeting, it will be decided whether the 798kg minimum weight limit for the cars, excluding fuel, remains the same for 2023, with the report indicating that this will indeed be the case, while the power unit minimum weight could drop one kg to 150.

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Red Bull gave Ferrari a weight-loss nightmare in 2022

There is no doubt that as the 2022 campaign rolled on, it was Red Bull who came up with the stronger development programme as the RB18 overtook the F1-75 as the strongest challenger on the grid.

As former Ferrari principal Mattia Binotto alluded to, Red Bull benefitted from having a rather clear path for how to make their RB18 faster, which was to make it lighter, and this ultimately played a big part in making the RB18 the class of the field.

Of course, Ferrari also had to accept blame for their 2022 title challenge going so terribly wrong as team and driver errors derailed their efforts, but the Scuderia will now hope that a lighter 2023 machine will help them to charge into the 2023 campaign all guns blazing.

It has been reported that the 2023 car is expected to go a second faster than what the F1-75 could manage.

So, if Ferrari deliver on the hype, like they did at the start of last season when they unleashed the rapid F1-75, then another attempt at ending their title-less run, which stretches all the way back to 2008, awaits.