The Spanish Grand Prix turned out to be another disappointing weekend for Scuderia Ferrari. In Barcelona, it was expected that the updates brought to the SF-23 car could narrow the gap to the leading Red Bull RB19 single-seater.
However, things went differently as the Prancing Horse left the Circuit de Catalunya with the meager results of a fifth-place finish for Carlos Sainz and an eleventh-place finish for Charles Leclerc, who was therefore unable to score any points in the Spanish Grand Prix.
Now that more than a third of the 2023 Formula One season has passed, the picture is clear: the team from Maranello got the concept wrong and is unable to rectify the initial mistake. Even the attempt to imitate Red Bull by introducing side pods similar to those of the RB19 did not yield the desired results. Unfortunately, technical issues seem to be affecting the drivers’ confidence as well. Jean Alesi discussed this in his usual Tuesday commentary for the Italian daily newspaper Il Corriere della Sera.
Jean Alesi’s commentary:
“When I listen to Fred Vasseur, I wonder what information he receives to form a clear picture of the internal situation. I don’t think he can communicate differently if he’s provided with data from the technical department that leads in one direction rather than another,” Jean Alesi begins in his analysis for the renowned newspaper.
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He then adds: “When I saw the modified car ‘Red Bull-style’ for Barcelona, I immediately became concerned: an intervention on the side pods that merges with a fundamentally different philosophy is unlikely to produce harmony or real progress. Aston Martin also copied Red Bull, but their designer comes from the championship-winning team and was able to apply a method that they are familiar with when redesigning the entire car.” – the Frenchman pointed out in his article for Il Corriere della Sera.
Finally, he concluded his analysis by pointing out another cause for concern when it comes to the Maranello team:
“The results for Ferrari in Barcelona appeared disappointing, with an additional problem: Charles Leclerc seems to have lost the feeling with his own car. When something like this happens, performance immediately drops, preventing the driver from expressing themselves, pushing, or taking risks. I understand it; it’s a discouraging condition that inevitably affects the morale of every champion.” former Ferrari driver Jean Alesi concluded.
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