Ferrari’s CEO, Benedetto Vigna, has once again commented on the performance of the SF23 this season, also addressing market rumors about a potential move of Lewis Hamilton to Maranello. Vigna’s words from January had already sparked a lot of discussion, when during the unveiling of the new car, he stated that the SF23 would be “a single-seater unprecedented in terms of speed.”
Benedetto Vigna is speaking again about the performance of the SF23 and Ferrari this season.
“For us, Formula 1 is very important because racing is in our DNA,” the CEO of Maranello stated in an interview with CNBC.
After the unfortunate statement made back in February, Benedetto Vigna attempted to immediately clarify with a new remark: “We have a car that is the fastest for us so far, but it’s not the fastest on the track. So, we need to keep improving.”
“The person who comes after me will have to inherit a very simple legacy: to keep alive that desire for progress that has been pursued in the past,” he continued, citing one of Drake’s most iconic phrases. “This is what we have to do. In racing and in everything we do.”
The 2023 Formula 1 season for the red team has been truly challenging to judge and interpret so far. Enthusiasm was sky-high during the unveiling of the SF23, presented to the public in front of exuberant fans at Fiorano and supposed to be the car of resurgence.
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However, both the drivers and the engineers soon realized that 2023 would be a year of bitter setbacks and painful defeats, as promptly confirmed in the opening race in Bahrain. Even after the summer break, things didn’t improve.
Charles Leclerc, due to a collision with Oscar Piastri in the early laps at Zandvoort, was forced to retire. Carlos Sainz, on the other hand, had to settle for a fifth-place finish, fiercely defending his position against the faster Mercedes car of Lewis Hamilton.
Regarding the rumors about a possible arrival of the British driver in Maranello, Benedetto Vigna responded: “We have Charles and Carlos, who are doing a fantastic job. They are friends and they are in competition. For us, the main priority is to make the car more competitive.”
As confirmed by Enrico Cardile during the team principals’ press conference in the Netherlands, the 2024 Formula One project will represent a clear departure from the current car, which in two seasons has shown evident technical limitations compared to the sensational RB18 and RB19.
Source: f1ingenerale
