Scuderia Ferrari has unveiled their challenger for the 2023 season, the SF-23 machine, which will be tasked with returning the Italian squad to its former glory.
Ferrari started last year with tremendous promise, taking two victories in the first three races and showing a combination of performance and reliability that rivals could not match.
However, Red Bull’s impressive recovery, in combination with a variety of strategic and operational errors from Ferrari, saw the Austrian squad take firm control of both F1 Championships.
Fred Vasseur, newly appointed team principal, has been candid in his ambitions for the Scuderia in 2023.
The Frenchman believes that – after finishing second last season – the only logical objective for the team is to win the title.
When considering the cautious rhetoric often employed by Mattia Binotto as Ferrari’s boss, it is refreshing to see Fred Vasseur’s confidence and assertiveness.
The sense of urgency and confidence appears to be consistent throughout the ranks at Ferrari.
CEO Benedetto Vigna has stated, “the Ferrari SF-23 will be a car without precedent in terms of speed.”
Whilst it is not uncommon for optimism to surround teams during the winter break, these words only emphasize the ambition within the team. Excuses will not be tolerated.
Vasseur was clear about his aims at the team’s SF-23 launch:
“I don’t care who is the first to win a race this year. The most important is that Ferrari is first. We will push both drivers equally and put Ferrari first.”
Charles Leclerc was a frustrated figure after Ferrari’s campaign last year, as he watched his F1 Championship hopes disappear.
However, last season provides the Maranello squad with a very competitive baseline to build upon and further improve with the SF-23. The Monegasque remains optimistic about the team’s chances in 2023.
Carlos Sainz struggled last year, lacking the confidence to extract the same speed from the car as his teammate.
When considering his impressive form in 2021, the 28-year-old will be eager to return to his best form with the SF-23.
Many teams have taken inspiration from Red Bull in their 2023 cars, converging on common themes and concepts used by the Austrian team last season.
In this sense, Ferrari will be unique from much of the field, with the team deciding to continue with an evolution of last year’s concept – featuring the distinctive ‘goldfish’ sidepods.
