Scuderia Ferrari’s 2023 Formula 1 campaign, with the exception of Marina Bay in Singapore and a few notable performances from the SF-23 single-seater and its drivers on racing tracks suited to the characteristics of the 675 project, proved to be disappointing, despite the high expectations that fans had before the start of the championship.
The realization that 2023 would continue to present challenges similar to those in the latter part of the previous year dawned on the Maranello team from the very first kilometers completed during the Fiorano shakedown in February. The car did not respond as expected by the Italian team’s technicians. By the end of the year, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished with a mere 5-point difference. However, it was driver #55 who secured the sole victory of the season, benefiting from a better understanding of the car post-summer break and unlocking performance on the SF-23 with settings more attuned to the Spaniard’s driving style.
Despite numerous complaints about a weak front end, a notable weakness of the SF23, Charles Leclerc’s early-season performance still outshone his teammate.
Significant strides forward were evident towards the end of the season, particularly after the introduction of the floor in Japan. This allowed the young talent from the Ferrari Driver Academy to showcase his true potential.
At the season’s start, Carlos Sainz displayed more comfort in qualifying compared to Charles Leclerc, who lost ground due to the update in Barcelona. Despite the challenging beginning for the entire Italian team, the gap for the Monegasque driver against his teammate was never as wide during the concluded season when the SF-23 excelled as a qualifying machine.
While race tire management faced challenges, with a gap of around three-tenths of a second, Charles Leclerc dominated in the slower sectors.
Carlos Sainz ‘won’ in Australian qualifying, marked by uncertain weather, and capitalized on Charles Leclerc’s mistake in Miami. In the race, the situation was similar, but the pace was influenced by Charles Leclerc’s errors, and a gap of around two-tenths per lap persisted until the first American Grand Prix.
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However, from Spain onwards, it seemed like a new championship had started. The SF-23 transformed into a different car, thanks to significant updates from Maranello, bringing it closer (though not identical) to Adrian Newey and Red Bull’s aerodynamic concept. This indirectly aided Carlos Sainz in matching his teammate’s performance.
The car’s balance became more unstable, especially with “more forward” setups, allowing the Spaniard to match Leclerc’s performance, who struggled in sectors with medium and low-speed corners, no longer having the advantage of less understeer that complemented his driving style.
Post-summer break, a better understanding unlocked further performance. Carlos Sainz, between Monza and Singapore, secured two Pole Positions and a victory, demonstrating superiority in performance during those weeks. Between June and September, the gap between the two drivers was minimal in absolute terms, and Charles struggled with tire management, reaching a similar (sometimes lower) level than Carlos Sainz.
The SF-23 became more neutral after Suzuka, and the ‘real’ Charles Leclerc emerged. The seasonal update at Suzuka aimed to create a more neutral SF-23, expanding setup possibilities rather than enhancing the car’s absolute performance. This showcased the “real” Charles Leclerc in qualifying and the race.
The qualifying gap exceeded two-tenths, with improvements by the Monegasque in medium and high-speed sections compared to mid-season. His three pole positions and five front rows in the last seven races attested to this progress.
The Ferrari team also made strides in tire management post-Suzuka. While not yet at the level of Red Bull and Verstappen, significant improvement was evident, especially on the medium compound in many Grands Prix.
The race gap between the two drivers was three tenths in the last seven events, reminiscent of the positive gap seen in the first part of 2022. In overall terms, the gap between the Ferrari SF23 and the Red Bull RB19 ranged between five and six-tenths throughout the season.
Lewis Hamilton raised a valid concern after the Abu Dhabi race, emphasizing Red Bull’s victory despite no car development since August. Ferrari, too, did not push hard to develop the limited SF-23. The future depends on the teams’ efforts in the factory.
Lewis Hamilton mentioned, “We’ve learned a lot about the car, and now it’s just up to the team. They know what they have to do. Whether we get to Red Bull or not, we will see in Bahrain.”
Closing the gap for the pursuing teams is a daunting task, nearly half a second, and Ferrari, for instance, needs to recover more in one winter than they managed throughout the entire season, as explained by F1 journalists Andrea Vergani & Piergiuseppe Donadoni for formu1a.uno.
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