Ferrari’s plan to challenge Mercedes amid battle for second place in 2023 F1 Constructors’ Standings. Ferrari's plan to challenge Mercedes amid P2 duel in Constructors' Standings.

Scuderia Ferrari, from now until the end of the 2023 Formula 1 season, has two very clear objectives: the first is to focus on designing the new car for the 2024 championship, and the second, no less important, is to launch a decisive attack on Mercedes for second place in the Formula 1 constructors’ standings.

Team principal Frederic Vasseur has been clear in setting these two overarching goals for his team. On one hand, all efforts must be directed toward the design of next year’s car, and on the other, nothing should be overlooked in order to wrest the runner-up spot in the constructors’ championship from Mercedes, just behind Red Bull.

The path to achieve this latter goal is anything but simple, but numerically feasible. As you can see from the chart below, which illustrates the points progression for Mercedes and Ferrari throughout this year, the gap between the two teams is only 20 points, with six races remaining in the 2023 Formula 1 season.

Mercedes vs Ferrari: The Points in the 2023 F1 Constructors’ World Championship Standings. Source: circusf1.com

Throughout the season, Mercedes has consistently been ahead of Scuderia Ferrari. After the Spanish Grand Prix, the German team held a 52-point advantage, which was reduced to 24 after the Austrian Grand Prix but then climbed back to over 50 points following the Hungarian Grand Prix. However, in the last four races, the Maranello team has managed to reverse the trend, progressively reducing the gap to the current 20 points.

Analyzing the average points for the last four Grand Prix races, we find that Ferrari has collected 23.5 points compared to Mercedes’ 14.5. Zandvoort, Monza, Singapore, and Suzuka are four very different tracks, and if the average points for both teams from the last four races continue, they could catch up as early as in Mexico.

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To achieve this, the Maranello team has a well-defined plan that involves closely challenging Mercedes in races. The objective is to work during race weekends to keep Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc consistently ahead of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, paying slightly less attention to Red Bull, Aston Martin, and McLaren.