Unlike what was seen in Singapore, in Japan, Ferrari has returned to its usual levels of competitiveness shown in 2023. In fact, after a positive Friday, at Suzuka, the SF-23 cars struggled once again in both qualifying and the race, resulting in a Grand Prix that was not entirely satisfying but not disappointing either. They secured fourth and sixth positions with Leclerc and Sainz. These placements placed the Scuderia behind Red Bull and McLaren but ahead of Mercedes, whose overtaking in the constructor’s championship is now the team’s declared goal.
During the Japanese weekend, the Prancing Horse couldn’t find the form it needed either on a single lap or over a race distance to achieve better results. There was a notable gap to the front-runners, especially in Sector 1, which is a segment known for testing the aerodynamic qualities of the cars. This put Ferrari back into the position of a force that’s dependent on track-specific characteristics, a situation that seemed to have been resolved following the summer break.
Analysis, as presented on “Motorsport.com,” has been conducted by Franco Nugnes, highlighting the SF-23’s setbacks at Suzuka, a circuit with features less suited to the car and feared by the technical team.
“Leclerc, finishing fourth, had a gap of 43.908 seconds to Verstappen. Looking at the numbers, it seems like we’ve returned to the worst GPs, even though the Scuderia has confirmed itself as the third force, and the Maranello team has managed to gain a four-point lead over Mercedes. […] Ferrari was wary of the Japanese circuit with its snake-like layout and long, high-speed curves, which exposed the flaws and challenges of a car that’s been difficult to drive.”
The pitfalls of Suzuka, aside from being anticipated, were proven in the race, where the Scuderia was overtaken by McLaren, a scenario they hadn’t envisioned as the SF-23 had been considered a serious threat but not a level above the Red Bull Racing cars. “[…] The Japanese pitfalls were clear to everyone in the Scuderia. Simulations had indicated a scenario that left no room for doubt: Verstappen would return to where he belonged […]. But in Maranello, they believed they had enough pace to stay ahead of McLaren. However, both McLaren cars finished ahead of the Ferraris […]. They were considered serious threats but not necessarily superior to the Scuderia. Besides, the results of the Friday practice sessions supported this thesis. […] The scenario changed in the race: Leclerc quickly realized that they couldn’t compete with the unbeatable McLarens, but the game had to be played by defending against the Mercedes.”
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Despite the introduction of new components (a new floor), the Scuderia’s performance remained subpar, and the SF-23’s inherent issues persisted. “The introduction of a new floor hasn’t been enough to change the car’s behavior. It suffered tire overheating, resulting in tire degradation. On tracks like Suzuka, the SF-23 manages to hold its ground in a single lap, but over a race distance, it’s forced to yield to competitors like McLaren, who have managed to make a significant leap in quality.”
This situation, as pointed out by the Italian journalist, will lead the Scuderia to approach the season’s end by minimizing damage on less favorable tracks and maximizing gains on circuits that suit their car. All of this is in preparation for 2024, a season in which, apart from making significant changes to the car, a change in mindset will be required in Maranello, prioritizing bold choices over conservative ones. This shift in mindset, in practice, might involve changes in personnel on the pit wall. “The course of Ferrari’s season will be influenced by the circuit configurations: Doha is a fast, stop-and-go track. In Losail, the Scuderia should find a more suitable terrain: we’ll see further planned upgrades before the summer break. The chase after Mercedes continues, but a overly conservative approach doesn’t always suffice. […] Clearly, for the coming year, it won’t just be about having a more competitive car but also a more robust pit wall for unplanned choices. Fred Vasseur knows this and is working on it…”.
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