Updates at every race, not revolutions
Red Bull, Aston Martin, Alpine, Mercedes, Mercedes, and Scuderia Ferrari: that was the finishing order of the 2023 Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix on the streets of Monte Carlo, which saw the Ferrari team only manage sixth place with Charles Leclerc and eighth with Carlos Sainz.
The standings show that Ferrari was only the “fifth force” in the Principality, a misleading verdict given that Charles Leclerc had brought the SF-23 to third position in qualifying, only to be pushed back due to a serious mistake by the Maranello pit wall that failed to warn him of Lando Norris’ fast approach.
While the standings need to be “interpreted,” considering that on a different track where overtaking was possible, Carlos Sainz would have easily passed Esteban Ocon, it cannot be denied that the upcoming Barcelona race represents a crucial test for the men led by Frederic Vasseur. Several updates will be introduced on the SF-23 single-seater at Montmeló, but there won’t be a complete revolution like the one implemented by Mercedes, which also introduced a new front suspension in Monaco last weekend.
Based on Frederic Vasseur’s comments in the Monaco press conference, it seems that this element will not be present on the Ferrari: “Each team has its own opinions and approaches. Everyone must develop the car according to their own direction. We will see how things progress during the season. We will not introduce any updates to the front suspension in Barcelona.” – the French manager confirmed at the end of the Monaco Grand Prix.
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In Maranello, they have chosen to plan updates for every Grand Prix, rather than larger packages every five races, as Mercedes has done, hoping to obtain positive results at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona from the updates that Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have already used during the Monaco weekend (not without some unpleasant incidents, such as the unveiling of the floor for all to see, much to Toto Wolff’s “delight”).
On paper, the Barcelona weekend seems tailor-made to further highlight the level of the Red Bull RB19, especially considering that the race will follow the classic layout of the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, with the final two “fast” right-hand corners instead of the slow chicane that could have played to the strengths of the Ferrari SF-23 in tight sections. Red Bull on a medium-fast track could truly showcase its excellence. We will see what kind of competition Aston Martin, Mercedes, and Ferrari can put up, not to mention a steadily improving Alpine.
