A disappointing season
It is no secret that the first five races of the 2023 Formula 1 season have fallen far short of the expectations of Scuderia Ferrari’s management and fans. It feels like ages have passed since the grand presentation ceremony of the SF-23 at Fiorano on February 14, where there was a sense of resurgence and a desire to reclaim the Formula One world title that has eluded them since 2008 for drivers and 2009 for constructors.
After all, the double second-place finish in the previous championship positioned the Prancing Horse as the main challenger to the reigning champion Red Bull, but this initial part of the 2023 Formula 1 season has not favored the Italian side, as they have been surpassed by Aston Martin and Mercedes as well.
An opportunity to turn the tide and bring joy to their numerous fans could arise at the upcoming Monaco Grand Prix, a circuit where overtaking is extremely difficult and where the outcome of the race is heavily influenced by the qualifying results on Saturday. Charles Leclerc has not hidden his aspirations for his home race, although he is well aware of the significant gap between his SF-23 single-seater and the Red Bull RB19 car on Sundays in terms of race pace.
Ivan Capelli motivates Ferrari
The former Formula 1 driver and current commentator for Sky Sport commented on Ferrari’s uncertain start to the season in an interview with the Italian daily newspaeper Corriere dello Sport:
“Charles Leclerc, like the team, is expected to demonstrate that he is the pride of Ferrari. Carlos Sainz is more laid-back and is doing his part. Leclerc is being asked for miracles. We all want a resurgent Ferrari that can shake off the issues of the early races. Let’s hope for it. Last year, they had a very fast car in qualifying but faced problems during the race. In May, they halted the developments for 2022 to focus on 2023. Well, something didn’t work. It has worsened. They sought an increase in aerodynamic load that they cannot manage with the suspension.” – explained the Italian former Formula One driver who participated in 98 Grands Prix.
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Ivan Capelli also spoke about Frederic Vasseur, who joined Scuderia Ferrari as team principal last January: “He is an experienced man. But this is not an F1 team. This is Ferrari. He realizes that he is in a dimension that goes beyond and is paying a bit of a price. And he finds himself with a car that is not conceptually his own. There is often a comparison with Jean Todt, who took over Ferrari and turned it around. But he didn’t arrive alone; he brought a group of technicians with him. Fred Vasseur arrived with just his briefcase. You can’t invent F1; you have to plan, work, and manage it.” – Ivan Capelli concluded.
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