Faenza have had a difficult start to the 2023 season, following criticism from team boss Franz Tost and the sudden departure of head of aerodynamics Dickon Balmforth.

The team is pushing ahead with a substantial development program as it tries to squeeze more performance out of its cars.

Last weekend’s Miami Grand Prix saw revised front wings and mirrors, with the new floor being the next stage.

“We’re bringing a whole new floor to Imola,” said vehicle performance director Guillaume Dezoteux. “We’re looking forward to getting it in the car. It’s an important step, it’s a big step, so we hope to live up to expectations.

“There are always question marks about the quality of the relevance. But so far the updates we’ve brought have struggled to live up to expectations.

“This (Miami’s new) front wing is working well and in line with wind tunnel predictions, so we’re looking forward to the day.”

Dezoteux confirmed that the modified wing was part of the increased wash volume.

Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri AT04

Photography: Zak Mauger / motorsport pictures

The 2022 regulations were designed to reduce this as it was identified as a key parameter that was difficult to comply with, but it gradually increased as teams developed their cars.

“We’ve changed the geometry around the flap elements and end plates to try and create more outwash,” he noted. “In this set of regulations, it’s always been about controlling the washdown and wake of the car, but at the expense of performance.

“All the teams are trying to find many small solutions to reproduce the scour, which is good for the flow structure and the downforce generated from the bottom of the car.”

Regarding the revised wing mirrors introduced in Miami, he said: “There is a new geometry designed to modify the flow structure at the rear of the car to improve the car’s aerodynamic performance in different conditions.”

The team hopes that even a modest gain will lead to useful results.

“The midfield is very tight,” Dezoteux said. “You have more than 10 cars in 1% of the lap. So the opportunities are there. If the pace is good enough, that could get us a couple of places on the grid, but everyone is developing.

“So I think that’s what we’ll see throughout the year, this half-time game is going to be very interesting.”

Dezoteux noted that after Balmforth left, the team was pursuing a different development path with revised priorities.

“The direction of the car has changed,” he said. “We’re changing the weighting of the cars we want to develop a little bit.

“It’s going to take time to actually become something new in the car. But that’s what happened a while ago.”

Dezoteux also acknowledged Tost’s recent assertion that he now trusts his technical team: “I’m glad he said that! Franz is very supportive of the team of engineers around him.

“He’s a racing driver. He’s hungry for good results, like all of us, and he was definitely frustrated at the start of the season.

“But the competition is the biggest and it’s up to us to show that we’re capable enough to move on.”

Additional reporting by Matt Kew