While the SF-23 cars were directly shipped to the United States from Qatar, Ferrari’s engineers analyzed what had happened with Carlos Sainz’ car, which failed to start in the Qatar GP due to a fuel leak during refueling. The damage was found at the top of the fuel tank, which will be replaced in Austin to eliminate any safety concerns.
Ferrari has decided to replace the fuel tank on Carlos Sainz’s SF-23. The Spanish driver didn’t participate in the Qatar GP due to a minor fuel leak that was discovered while the mechanics were refueling the car before the race.
In the United States Grand Prix at Austin, he will have a perfectly functioning red car. The vehicle, which raced at the Italian GP, wasn’t returned to Maranello’s factory, and it was shipped directly from Lusail to Texas, where all necessary repairs will be carried out using new parts.
The Scuderia was taken by surprise on Sunday afternoon when a fuel leak was discovered at the top of the car as the fuel was being pumped into the tank, despite no anomalies emerging in the two days prior. Ferrari’s mechanics tried to address the issue by inspecting all the flanges and connections in the SF-23.
Despite their efforts, the problem repeated itself almost completely when the fuel tank was refilled after being dried thoroughly to prevent any safety concerns. Therefore, the engineers decided not to start Carlos Sainz, knowing there was no time to make the necessary repairs. With regret, Carlos remained in the pit, following his teammate Charles Leclerc’s race and communications using a headset.
As we mentioned earlier, the SF-23 chassis remained intact, so the troublesome pyramid curbs in Qatar were not the issue. Instead, the problem occurred in the flexible rubber bladder, which must meet or exceed FIA FT5-1999 standards. The fuel leak took place at the top of the tank, ruling out the battery replacement as the cause and also excluding human error. An analysis of materials is ongoing to determine the root cause, and the possibility of a minor manufacturing defect or bladder damage hasn’t been ruled out.
With the new fuel tank in place, Ferrari is moving forward with confidence to Austin, a circuit that, at least on paper, should be less punishing than Lusail, where the SF-23 struggled. In Qatar, Ferrari’s engineers prioritized safety and decided to withdraw Carlos Sainz from the race, but now they’re eager to challenge Mercedes for second place in the Constructors’ Championship, even though the gap has increased to 28 points with five races remaining.
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