Formula 1

The new Ferrari SF-23 F1 2023

Published

1 month ago

14/02/2023

The SF-23, Ferrari’s 2023 Formula 1 car, was unveiled at a presentation held at its Fiorano test center.

On Tuesday afternoon, the new SF-23 design will hit the track for a brief shakedown run, with Charles Leclerc taking the first drive.

After being left behind in 2020 due to a settlement with the FIA over its engine rules, Ferrari focused on preparing for the new 2022 regulations, which resulted in its first legitimate F1 title challenge since 2018.

Even though the Ferrari F1-75 was the quickest car in terms of raw speed throughout last season and Charles Leclerc led the championship by 34 points (and 46 points over eventual champion Max Verstappen) after only three grands prix, the team’s quest for the championship fell apart in a sudden and dramatic fashion.

A combination of driver errors, strategic mistakes, and poor reliability caused the lead to slip away from Ferrari even before Red Bull’s development and weight reduction program provided Verstappen with a car that he could win with consistently.

In addition, Ferrari’s pace began to decrease, with their tire wear during races becoming an issue, and changes made to their engine setup to address the reliability problems resulted in a loss of power.

Ferrari failed to win a race in the entire second half of the season, and although Leclerc narrowly held onto second place in the drivers’ championship ahead of Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, he finished 146 points behind Verstappen, and was officially out of the title race by early October.

As Ferrari’s 2022 campaign faltered, team principal Mattia Binotto faced mounting criticism and was replaced by Frederic Vasseur, his counterpart at Alfa Romeo, during the winter.

Vasseur commented, “It’s always an emotional moment for a team to launch a car on which so much effort has been expended. Honestly, I joined too late, and my involvement in this one has been minimal.”

Vasseur also stated, “I can appreciate the work that has been put into the car, and it will now begin a new chapter as it goes to the race team. It’s a fantastic sensation; when you return to the track, it’s similar to returning to school, and I can sense that everyone is extremely proud of the work that has been accomplished.”

He further added, “This sentiment is crucial for everyone’s motivation and for the upcoming season.”

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz remain teammates for a third season. Sainz had difficulty adjusting to the 2022 car at first and had a difficult start to the season, but he bounced back and returned to his solid 2021 performance level, culminating in his first F1 victory at the British GP.

Leclerc said, “I’m looking forward to it. 2022 was a significant improvement compared to the two challenging years in 2020 and 2021.”

Leclerc added, “I’m truly excited about this new car. I believe we’ve done an excellent job of working on it and attempting to address the flaws that were present in the previous car [the 2022 one].”

He concluded, “Hopefully, it will be an improvement, but the objective is undoubtedly to win.”

Leclerc added, “The sensation of winning is what drives me, and it’s what motivates the whole team as well. I’m truly eager to return to the car and strive for the championship victory.”