Jock Clear explains why tire degradation is not a problem for Ferrari in view of 2023 season. Why tire degradation is not a problem for Ferrari .

Jock Clear believes that the wear shown in the second half of the season is the daughter of the difference in pace with Red Bull

While Scuderia Ferrari Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc pointed out that the Maranello team needed to improve in several sectors, including tire management, the Maranello engineers think that the main problem of the F1-75 was another: in two words, Red Bull.

In more precise terms, the difference in wheelbase between the car built in Maranello and the one from Milton Keynes, developed better and longer than the Red one, among other things.

According to senior performance engineer Jock Clear, it’s not true that the F1-75 was a tire-eating machine. Or rather, the  aggressiveness on the tires was due to driving styles that tried to compensate for the technical gap with Red Bull: “I think it’s a misunderstanding, to tell the truth. We were struggling in terms of pace“ – these were the comments of the British engineer to Motorsport-Total.

Show your support for Scuderia Ferrari with official merchandise collection! Click here to enter the F1 online Store and shop securely! And also get your F1 tickets for every race with VIP hospitality and unparalleled insider access. Click here for the best offers to support Charles and Carlos from the track!

“We have two drivers who for 12-13 GPs were able to fight on a par with Red Bull. Then they found an advantage of two tenths, and we had to make up some ground. Of course, when you’re racing against a car that’s faster than yours, it reflects on tire wear. So we don’t think this is a big deal for us, also because during the year, when the cars were equal, our tire wear was slightly better than Red Bull’s. At the end of the season we suffered from the fact that Charles had to try to keep up with his rivals, who unfortunately had a slightly faster car. Obviously it is very difficult for Charles to say: ‘Okay, I’m slower, I quit’. It will never happen, he is a driver, so asks for more from the tire.” – Jock Clear explained.

In Abu Dhabi, Charles Leclerc was able to at least save what could be salvaged, with a great performance at the Yas Marina circuit to keep Sergio Perez’s Red Bull behind him with a one-stop strategy, thanks to excellent tire management. In Brazil and Yas Marina, Ferrari actually seemed less to manage the tyre degradation even better than Red Bull: Charles Leclerc hopes that in the key moments of 2023 he will be able to count on a reliable package especially in terms of tyre degradation, which many times makes the difference for the overall outcome of the race.