How many times have we experienced that the initial impression of a person, a fact, or a circumstance was enough to form an almost definitive and accurate judgment? Perhaps that’s what happened at Ferrari at the start of a troubled season that, after twelve races, unequivocally declares that the SF-23 is fundamentally flawed. Or at the very least, incapable of doing what it was designed for: winning.
Let’s go back to February 14th, the day when the historic Italian racing team unveiled their new creation to the world in an event that, oddly enough, included an immediate test drive for the red machine. After some camera-friendly antics and amidst the enthusiastic crowd, fate decided that Charles Leclerc should be the first to sample the main course of the feast.
Ferrari: SF-23 dismissed at first sight
Some saw it as a sign of destiny, a moment that would be tied to the unfortunate words of Benedetto Vigna, who just a few minutes earlier had declared the upcoming single-seater as the fastest model ever. What it was meant to be fast at, no one knew. Speaking of speed, the Monegasque driver was immediately able to verify that something was off with that car. Something not quite positive that would be further explored in the subsequent Bahrain tests, revealing hellish gates for Ferrari technicians who realized the car had not been “guessed” correctly.
“In the first few laps, there was a strange feeling, something wasn’t right in the balance. But only later did I discover that the performance was lacking,” is the succinct account that Leclerc gave of the Italian car. Thus, certain expressions observed in the red pit box during the Bahrain three-day event should not surprise, which, when they surfaced, were lightly dismissed by many.
Realizing the issues and the need to overcome them without the support of the conceptual father of the SF-23, that David Sanchez who moved to McLaren when the championship was in its early stages, Ferrari prepared an upgrade program to address the major problems faced by the drivers: lack of downforce, difficulty in finding the right balance, and overly narrow tire operating window. The evolutionary packages have smoothed out the flaws, but they certainly haven’t overcome them.
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Don’t be misled by the performance at Spa-Francorchamps, which presented a Ferrari as the “first of the others.” Seven days prior, on a track that should have favored the red car, things went rather poorly. This confirms that the single-seater remains indecipherable and tends not to live up to what the simulators indicated on the track’s verdict.
Ferrari, Hakkinen: SF-23’s Problems “Are Visible”
The issues of the SF-23, therefore, persist despite the Maranello engineers’ efforts and brainstorming. And they seem so apparent that they can be noticed even with the naked eye. Of course, it takes the keen eye of someone in the field with trained vision to understand where to look and what to search for. “Seeing it in action in certain corners, I thought to myself, ‘they’ve got the car wrong,'” the judgment comes not from just anyone, but from Mika Hakkinen, a two-time champion and a legend of motorsport.
“The drivers, after the first outing, mentioned having minor issues. From my perspective, these were big problems, even more so because Red Bull was flying,” the Finn added to Motorsport. “But recovery is possible: what McLaren recently did is a great example. Nobody pointed fingers at anyone in Woking; they worked hard. It’s the people who make the difference.”
Regaining ground is thus conceivable, but it takes time. Like the other major stragglers (Mercedes, Aston Martin, and McLaren), Ferrari is also operating with an eye on 2024, using the remaining part of the championship to gather data and test elements that will be incorporated into future models.
In the meantime, the Prancing Horse sets a short-term goal: to try to challenge for second place in the constructors’ standings, taking advantage of the sudden slowdown of the Silverstone team, the delay accumulated by Woking, and the inability of the Three-Pointed Star to definitively take off.
It won’t be easy because, quoting the former McLaren driver again, Leclerc and Sainz know they have a challenging car to tame: “When your car is difficult to drive, the chance of making mistakes is higher; the two Ferrari drivers are always on the edge. […] We’re talking about two great drivers who just need support. When they have a competitive car, they will achieve incredible results.”
While the drivers try to handle a spirited steed, the engineers have thrown themselves headlong into the design of next year’s car. It’s believed that the technical convergence towards the concepts devised by Red Bull could also lead to a narrowing of the field. Ferrari doesn’t need to create a dominant car; it just needs to “simply” produce a car that can compete with the others. The drivers will do the rest. And when Mika Hakkinen says it, it’s worth trusting…
Source: Diego Catalano for FUnoanalisitecnica
