The 2023 Formula 1 World Championship concluded with Red Bull’s overwhelming victory, more than doubling the points of its closest competitors according to the constructors’ standings. With 860 points for the Austrian team, Mercedes responded with 409, Ferrari with 406, while McLaren and Aston Martin finished 4th and 5th, respectively, with 302 and 280 points.
Beyond Red Bull’s dominance, let’s conduct a brief analysis of the season for the Scuderia Ferrari, considering their rivals and the upcoming year.
Exactly a year ago, rumors intensified, leading to Mattia Binotto’s dismissal as Ferrari’s Team Principal and the subsequent hiring of Fred Vasseur. The signs of “discontent” with Ferrari’s results had already been clearly expressed by CEO Benedetto Vigna on November 2, 2022, during the Q3 results presentation to investors: “Although we have returned to competitiveness this year, we cannot be satisfied with this year’s results. Now we focus on the final races of the season and preparing as best as possible for the next.”
In an interview with Milano Finanza – Class CNBC, Ferrari’s CEO further stated, “I am not satisfied with the second place because second is the first of the losers,” referring to the second position among constructors in 2022 and using a famous phrase by Enzo Ferrari.
Now, if 12 months ago, Benedetto Vigna couldn’t be satisfied with a silver medal, what can he say today, after this year’s bronze? In 2022, Ferrari achieved 4 victories and 12 pole positions. At the beginning of the year, they were also in contention for the championship, although we all know how it ended. In 2023, with the same number of races, victories reduced to one, and pole positions almost halved (7). Mercedes, despite a flawed project changed mid-season, managed to perform better among the constructors.
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Apart from the results, no significant arrivals to strengthen the team followed some key departures, revealing certain limitations in the current organizational structure at Maranello. Aerodynamics and strategy are the two weakest points in the current Racing Department of Maranello. However, after 11 months, Fred Vasseur has not announced any reorganization or significant new hires.
Finally, the concerns that are circulating within the halls of Maranello’s buildings. The worries about the possibility of taking another step back in the standings next year are real. While Mercedes is unlikely to make mistakes with their car for the third consecutive year, McLaren has shown that it is on an excellent path in developing its car.
Since the Austrian Grand Prix in early July, the English team led by Andrea Stella has accumulated more points than Ferrari in the constructors’ standings. Their points average has increased from just over 5 per race in the first 8 Grands Prix to over 20 in the remaining 14 races.
The possibility of finishing 2024 in 4th place among constructors exists, but at this point, it would open up a deep crisis at Maranello, followed by a true revolution that would affect everyone, including drivers. How to avoid all this? Bringing valuable technicians to Ferrari, streamlining cumbersome processes and unnecessary bureaucracy, to start working as a modern and agile Formula 1 racing team.
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