The 2023 Formula 1 campaign is a year to forget as soon as possible for Fred Vasseur and Scuderia Ferrari. The Frenchman, in his first year as the team principal of the Maranello squad, reflects on what has been a semi-disastrous season, with highs and lows, and the sole victory at the Marina Bay street circuit in Singapore.
The SF-23 was presented to fans on Valentine’s Day, a date to commemorate the love that binds its millions of fans to the Maranello team. Despite the grand promises and the announcement of a Ferrari comeback after the previous year’s elusive championship, on-track results were entirely opposite.
Fred Vasseur found himself managing an unwieldy car, criticized by his own drivers. Several times throughout the year, we witnessed Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz exhausted, disappointed, and demoralized due to the disappointing performances.
The French manager had understood the situation long before. When asked if he expected a challenging 2023 Formula One season, the team principal responded that he had sensed it from the very first day of testing. “On the morning of the first test. I think it was already pretty obvious,” he replied to the media.
Despite the disappointment, Fred Vasseur and his team never stopped hoping for an on-track recovery. “You still have hopes. You’re developing the car. You’re pushing. You hope to get pole position, to win one or two races.”
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However, the reality was brutal. Max Verstappen won almost all the races in the 2023 Formula One campaign, except for the Saudi Arabian GP and Baku (won by his Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez). And, of course, Singapore, the only race where Ferrari with Carlos Sainz crossed the finish line first after some great defensive driving in the final stages of the race.
“It’s been a tough season,” Fred Vasseur recalled, now looking ahead to the next year for the new Ferrari. “The most important thing is to have a clearer picture of what we’re doing. Trying to improve. The result is what we expect.” – the Ferrari team principal concluded.
Source: f1ingenerale
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