F1: Why does Ferrari seem to perform well only in sprint weekends? | 2023 Belgian GP. Why Ferrari seems to perform well only in sprint weekends.

Scuderia Ferrari team principal, Frederic Vasseur, commented on Charles Leclerc’s podium finish last Sunday in the Belgian Grand Prix at the 7.004-kilometre Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot and tried to explain why the SF-23 single-seater is much faster during sprint weekends compared to traditional ones.

With Charles Leclerc’s podium at Spa, the Maranello-based team has achieved three podium finishes in as many weekends with the new format, all three achieved by the Monegasque driver.

Ferrari only on the podium during sprint weekends: Frederic Vasseur’s analysis after the Belgian GP

“The podiums for Charles Leclerc in the sprint weekends? I’m not sure they can be judged,” said the French team principal to Sky Sport microphones at the end of the Belgian GP. Also, they happened on high-speed circuits like Baku and Spa.” – the French manager pointed out.

“Perhaps we can prepare these weekends well because there are fewer free practice sessions, and we arrive well-prepared. This might be one of the conclusions that can be drawn. In any case, we must not overvalue the significance of the numbers.” – the Ferrari boss believes.

According to Fred Vasseur, one of the possible explanations for why the SF-23 shows more speed during sprint weekends could lie in the lesser time available to prepare for the sessions. This would reward the drivers’ ability to adapt to the car and track as quickly as possible.

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“Overall, I believe it was a good weekend. We demonstrated a strong pace on both dry and wet conditions, in both single-lap performance and long runs. So, it was a good weekend for the team. Certainly, from the drivers’ point of view, it went well for one and not so well for the other. For Charles, everything went well, from pole to the start and the strategy, and the pace was good. Carlos, on the other hand, ended his race after one corner.” – Fred Vasseur continued.

Regarding Carlos Sainz’s unfortunate race, the Frenchman stated: “We tried to keep the car on track, expecting a red flag, maybe due to rain, but it didn’t happen. I think it was a racing incident. Perhaps Piastri was a bit too optimistic and hit him. But in a situation like that, it’s complicated. Before the start, it was very difficult to have a clear picture of the race.” We didn’t do any simulations in practice. We all went a bit blind on the strategies, but I think the pit wall reacted well. We made the right choices, and the pace was good. Now, it’s essential for us to have these two weeks of break,” – the Ferrari team principal concluded at the end of the Belgian Grand Prix.