Photo by SIMON WOHLFAHRT/AFP via Getty Images
Ferrari is still struggling with their 2023 challenger, even as 2024 looms
With the second half of the 2023 Formula 1 season set to get underway, Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr. was able to boil down their struggles to one word ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix.
Consistency.
Speaking at press conferences on Thursday, Sainz outlined how the one thing the team was sorely lacking this season was any semblance of consistency from the SF-23, their challenger for the 2023 season.
“I think it’s no secret that this year we’ve lacked like some consistency from the car. It’s very difficult to predict which circuits we’re going to be quick at and which we’re not going to be quick. I think the best example was the difference between Hungary and Spa,” said Sainz on Thursday. “I think when you see our car we expected Hungary to be a good weekend, we expected Spa to be a weaker one, and it was actually the opposite, which just shows that there is maybe something intrinsic that we don’t fully understand and we cannot predict very well.”
Trying to solve this riddle will be a huge focus for the team in the second half of the campaign.
“And this unpredictability, this lack of understanding, is exactly what we are focusing on to try and piece together everything and this is where our focus is going to be this weekend and obviously in the second half of the season,” said Sainz.
“On the good side of things, the car always offers some good opportunities in Qualifying to maybe qualify a bit ahead of what the race pace of the car might be, and if you do a good lap in Quali maybe you can hold on to a podium place, if you then have a smooth race without too many troubles,” added the driver. “Yeah, the focus will be getting the car again quick on the race mainly and try to hold on to those good Qualifying sessions if we have the opportunity.”
One thing that has been consistent for Ferrari? The performances this year from Sainz himself. The driver has finished in the points in every race this season but for the Australian Grand Prix (due to a penalty imposed following a late-lap restart) and the Belgian Grand Prix, after he suffered damage early in the race and was forced to retire.
Sainz also outlined that the team seems to have pinpointed at least some of the issues with the SF-23, however, the competitive nature of the grid this season may not see that translate to success.
“Yes, the core problem of the car, we do understand what it is and since the first developments of the year we are trying to get it better,” said Sainz. “And the whole development programme has been focused on improving that main weakness that we have. Then there’s many other factors, you know, that we are also trying to figure out.”
“But, again, the differences are small. I think, especially when you try to beat Mercedes, when you try and beat McLaren now, Aston Martin, it’s all within a tenth,” added the Ferrari driver. “And what we need to focus on in these last 10 races is putting the weekend together and seeing if we can if we can finish on top of that second place in the constructors that I think is not going to be easy.”
Sainz will have to wait a little longer to get back behind the wheel of the SF-23. The team announced that reserve driver Robert Schwartzman will take his spot in the first practice session on Friday. This is part of F1’s practice of requiring each team to use a young driver in two practice sessions throughout the season.
