Being Ferrari is tremendously complex. Nowadays, the immense legacy left by Enzo is not enough to be worthy. A man, the Drake, who first dreamed and then brought to life an undisputed legend that will forever remain in history. “He’s the most incredible man I’ve ever seen, and I’ve met a lot of people. He’s a legend. He’s like Winston Churchill. He will always be talked about,” said Bernie Ecclestone some time ago. Indeed, that’s how it has been and always will be. But the present is far from all this.
Although the Prancing Horse continues to wear the red badge with dignity, that symbol doesn’t hold the same weight anymore. The period of difficulty has been lasting for a while now. Too long, considering the resources available. Everyone is working in unison to change things, but the path towards light still seems dark. At the beginning of the season, expectations were high. Unfortunately, since the pre-season tests, the men in red realized that nothing would be as desired. The sad confirmation came at the end of the first race, where the longed-for aspirations gave way to pure reality: Ferrari, even in 2023, wouldn’t win anything.
Managing such a situation entails various sacrifices. The risk of falling into a void is significant. Fortunately, the fresh French breeze has alleviated the suffering. Vasseur, tasked with mending a significant tear, has brought a breath of fresh air. Not just in terms of performance. Maintaining a strong group in such a context remains the greatest challenge to face. With calculations in mind and considering the failure of Project 675, this objective seems to gradually solidify.
Ferrari knows exactly what it wants and is working hard to achieve it.
Identifying the most deserving areas of attention: the primary seasonal goal. Many efforts have been made to “understand” an often unpredictable SF-23, eccentric in its behavior, capricious to the point of starting on the front row on Saturday and then losing itself in the intricacies of the pack on Sunday. The evolutionary step taken over the course of the Grand Prix races is not enough. On the other hand, the competitors are not just standing by. That’s why closing the performance gap with those who performed better during the winter remains a coveted but still unattained target. The RB19 is too strong. Not to mention the determined group of pursuers: Mercedes, Aston Martin, and McLaren. These teams are more prepared for results at the moment.
Charles Leclerc recently declared that Ferrari will finish second in the championship. Or at least, that’s the intention pursued by the team, with absolute eagerness and frenzy. A purpose that helps them approach the reigning world champions and then, in 2024, with the gauntlet thrown down and fear set aside, to unveil their true potential with the desire to astonish everyone. This is despite the fact that the team will not yet be complete. Almost certainly, beating Red Bull will not be possible, but at least “competing in the same championship” why not?
To achieve this, there are several challenges to face. On the technical front, it’s about continuing the challenging path related to updates. Our editorial team has previously highlighted the ongoing work for the coming months: the floor, side pods, and rear wing need correction to address a quirky, unpredictable, sometimes fickle aerodynamic structure. The decade that preceded the wing car era largely followed the same philosophy. However, things have changed since last year. Hence, there is considerable room for development and improvement.
In this regard, Ferrari is putting in significant efforts, trying to understand and implement a different handling setup that, in practice, at least in Belgium, seems to be bearing fruit. Confirmation is eagerly awaited in this regard. Ground-effect cars are much more sensitive to changes, and even the smallest details can make a difference. Especially if, as in the case of the SF-23, the setup window is quite narrow when compared to others. Hence the famous “unpredictable performance fluctuations.”
Regarding the team’s direction, as they await bolstering their workforce, the sports management is working on a new production methodology. A clear break from the past is necessary. A revamped management in all its forms, closely linked to new personnel hires present and future, is trying to achieve something good with the resources at hand. Moreover, returning to the opening of this text, one phrase, one of Enzo’s many legacies, fits perfectly: passion allows us to endure bitterness and sacrifices that ambition wouldn’t justify in any way.
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