The Ferrari team presented this Tuesday the new single-seater, the SF-23, with which it will try to win the Formula 1 world title, which it has eluded for 16 years.
At a ceremony held at the private circuit of the Italian manufacturer, in Maranello, Italy, the two main drivers, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc and the Spaniard Carlos Sainz, showed cars following the concept adopted in 2022 and which achieved good results in the first half season, in which red predominates, with tones in black.
With engine evolution ‘frozen’ by regulations, teams are only allowed to fix reliability issues, one of the causes of Ferrari’s slowdown last year.
“It’s no secret that the engine’s reliability wasn’t the best last year, but we worked well this winter to improve that aspect,” said new team boss, Frenchman Frédéric Vasseur.
Vasseur, responsible for the development of Leclerc’s career in Formula 3 and 2, guaranteed that there will be no privileged person on the track.
“I don’t care who wins, what matters to me is that Ferrari wins. We will support both [pilotos] as well, but the team is first,” said Vasseur, who replaced Italy’s Mattia Binotto earlier this year.
Carlos Sainz emphasizes that the two drivers are “normally” “very close” in terms of times, but he guarantees that he will try to be “the fastest” this year.
“When we are on track, we participate. It is positive to have a good relationship on and off the track, always with respect,” stressed the Madrid driver.
Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, believes that this competition is healthy because it “makes the two better”.
“I can’t wait to start the World Cup. In 2022 we took a step forward compared to 2021 and 2020, so I’m looking forward to starting this year. The goal is to win,” emphasized the number two of the world. who was only beaten in 2022 by the Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull).
Last year, Ferrari started the season with two wins and second place in the first three races, but reliability issues followed leading to compromising DNFs in the lead, such as Sainz in Austria and Leclerc in Azerbaijan.
Winter work at the factory aimed to solve this reliability problem in order to take advantage of more power (around 15 hp) in one of the fastest cars in qualifying (12 poles captured, nine of them with Leclerc), but he had difficulties in holding a race.
In terms of aerodynamics, it retains the characteristics of the 2022, with a thinner and higher bonnet and tighter lines on the sides.
The suspension has been redesigned and the gearbox is more compact, the Italian manufacturer announced.
The Formula 1 World Championship starts in Bahrain on March 5 and ends in Abu Dhabi on November 26, after 23 races.
Ferrari has not won the World Championship since 2007, when with Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen.
It is the only manufacturer to have been present in the championship since its inception in 1950, with 16 titles and 243 race wins.
Source: DN
