Frédéric Vasseur expressed his satisfaction with Ferrari’s tire management on a challenging track like Suzuka. The introduction of the new floor helped, but there were other aspects to consider.
Suzuka is known to be one of the most demanding tracks concerning tire loads, both lateral and vertical, especially in the first sector featuring the famous ‘snake,’ a sequence of high-speed curves almost unique in its kind.
For this reason, and given the difficulties faced in the early part of the 2023 Formula 1 season, Ferrari was apprehensive about potential tire issues during the recently concluded Japanese Grand Prix weekend.
However, at the end of the weekend, Ferrari returned home with more confidence in this regard. While the results spoke of an unassailable Red Bull – the usual RB19 of Max Verstappen – and a more comfortable McLaren on the Japanese track layout, the Ferrari cars suffered much less than expected in terms of tire degradation.
This marked a significant improvement over the first part of the season, where the SF-23s displayed tire aggressiveness that often spoiled races right from the early stints. Frédéric Vasseur, the team principal of Scuderia Ferrari, wanted to highlight the progress made. It might be late for them to become a continuous contender against Red Bull, but it’s still important, especially considering the battle for second place in the Constructors’ Championship with Mercedes and with an eye on 2024.
“I think we made progress regarding tire degradation compared to the beginning of the season, but on the other hand, we were probably a bit too conservative, and I think that’s true for everyone,” admitted Ferrari team principal at the end of the 2023 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.
“On the grid, we were very frightened. We were more afraid than what was revealed during the race. In the end, during the race, everything was under control. We believe we’ve taken a step forward in this case. Certainly, if we look at the tire management we had in the first two races of the season, that wasn’t our strong point, let’s say. Coming to Suzuka, on a track like this, we were somewhat at risk. But at the end of the weekend, I think we did a good job in this regard. The race was always under control, and the strategy was managed well. We did well, and it was a clear step forward compared to the first part of the season.” – the French manager pointed out.
In Suzuka, Ferrari introduced a new floor on both SF-23 cars. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr. had only one model of the new component available, but it was used by both from the second practice session.
According to Fred Vasseur, this might not have affected the improvement in tire management but will have importance in the fight with Mercedes because it has the potential to enhance the SF-23s.
“What we bring to the car has potential. Tire degradation, in this aspect, is a different story, and you shouldn’t mix things up. But certainly, having potential is always useful. Think about it, we missed the front row by less than a tenth. When you start further ahead, it’s a different story because you have cleaner air and other advantages.”
“Sometimes details make a huge difference because when you’re competing with others, you often have to copy what they do. It’s a completely different story. But I think this situation will continue for the rest of the season. At Monza, we secured pole position by one-hundredth of a second. Last week in Singapore, it was by five hundredths, or something like that. In Suzuka, however, we missed the front row by five hundredths. It will be a matter of hundredths until Abu Dhabi,” concluded Fred Vasseur.
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