Scuderia Ferrari will seek answers on the behavior of the SF-23 single-seater with the updates it will bring at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in the Spanish Grand Prix.
The weekend in Miami has raised new doubts about the concept of the car, which so far has only brought one podium to Maranello in the first five races of the 2023 Formula 1 championship.
There is great confusion and dismay among the drivers themselves. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz compared notes after the Miami Grand Prix and spoke of a car that was “inconsistent and difficult” to drive. Carlos Sainz had a good pace with the medium compound, managing to stay close behind Fernando Alonso in the first stint at the Miami International Autodrome in Florida, USA. Then he fell far behind when he put on the hard tires. Charles Leclerc did worse; due to Saturday’s accident and an aggressive setup, the Monegasque fought continuously in the race, but could not do much against the faster cars of Mercedes and Aston Martin.
The Spanish Grand Prix will be a crucial test bench for the red car, at least to understand the anomalous behavior of the single-seater.
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In a recent article for the Italian daily newspaper Corriere dello Sport, journalist Fulvio Solms analyzes the critical situation of the Maranello team. According to his comments, Scuderia Ferrari must “run on a challenging track, also a linear one, so that engineers understand what is happening on the SF-23.”
The ideal circuit is that of Montmelò, which represents an “open-air wind tunnel.”
The feeling, according to Fulvio Solms’ analysis, is that there is great confusion in Maranello. In qualifying, the SF-23 is very strong, but in the race, the opposite happens. “Charles Leclerc was struggling with the medium tires and was comfortable with the hard ones, while Carlos Sainz felt exactly the opposite, both with oversteer and understeer from one corner to the next. A disaster.” – Corriere dello Sport explained.
It’s too bad that the calendar is working against Ferrari: the Spanish GP will only arrive in June. And in the meantime, what can the Maranello team do? “For now it is necessary to continue to move in quicksand for another month,” Fulvio Solms concluded.
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