As the Formula 1 2023 season comes to an end, it’s the perfect moment to reflect on the twists and turns of Ferrari’s season. From their ambitious start to the challenging finish, the team has undergone significant changes.
After finishing a distant second in the Constructors’ Championship in 2022, Ferrari underwent an overhaul. The management hierarchy at Maranello saw long-standing team members depart, including former Team Principal, Mattia Binotto.
In his place, former Sauber CEO and Team Principal, Fred Vasseur, stepped in with the goal of returning Ferrari to the summit of Formula 1.
Despite the change, Ferrari’s fortunes haven’t seen the expected turnaround. Instead of challenging Red Bull, Ferrari slipped to third place in the Constructors Championship, after a titanic battle with Mercedes that went down to the wire in Abu Dhabi.
Additionally, Ferrari witnessed the departure of key team members. Head of Vehicle Performance, David Sanchez left for rivals McLaren, while Sporting Director, Laurent Mekies stepped down to prepare for his new role as Team Principal at AlphaTauri next year.
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Technical challenges and tackling the cost cap
Ferrari’s technical challenges across the season were exacerbated by the SF-23’s limitations within the design, including sensitivity to wind conditions.
Both drivers expressed frustration, noting that certain issues cannot be addressed due to the cost cap constraints.
Additionally, it’s no revelation that the Scuderia has been plagued by persistent errors with the pit wall coming under scrutiny after some poor race strategies for both drivers.
These mistakes race after race have proven costly, resulting in the team giving up crucial points that ultimately cost the team 2nd place in the Constructors’ Championship.
“Red Bull did a better job in many aspects, while we lost something in terms of reliability, managing impeding, and other things,” said Fred Vasseur reflecting on the 2023 season.
“If we focus only on one aspect, we won’t move forward. We need to improve in all details. We made progress in this end of the championship, so we will maintain the same mindset and approach for the next season.”
Breaking Red Bulls streak
Like the rest of the grid, Ferrari struggled to compete for wins this season up against the Bulls.
However Carlos Sainz managed to do what no other team could. He took his only win of the season at Singapore, dethroning Red Bull’s who had won 10 in a row.
They would go on to win every race after that highlighting how impressive a drive it was from Sainz.
This not only brought optimism to the Maranello team but also underscored the tactical prowess of the Spanish driver. Sainz’s strategic acumen, coupled with his adept teamwork alongside Leclerc, showcased how well their driver pairing works together.
Leclerc currently holds the record for achieving the highest tally of pole positions without winning a World Championship. Not a record he enjoys holding I’m sure.
It was another season of nearly moments for the Monegasque driver.
Pole positions at circuits like Belgium and Texas were squandered and while he remains formidable on a Saturday, his race form still leaves a bit to be desired.
Expectations are high at Ferrari for next season. The Tifosi getting more and more restless with each championship-less season passing by.
With glimpses of improved consistency the hope is that Ferrari will be a formidable force in the upcoming season.
There seems to be a new-found stability under Vassseur as well. The always-smiling Frenchman seems to have brought the team together and taken some of the pressure away from the drivers.
As well as this, we all know the talents of Sainz and Leclerc. Arguably the best driver pairing on the grid.
The pieces of the puzzle are there for Ferrari. Its time for Maranello to start putting it together.
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