The Ferrari Formula 1 team is working “at full speed” on updates for the 2023 car because they are “not satisfied” with the current form, according to team boss Fred Vasseur. Last year’s runner-up behind Red Bull fell back to fourth place in the constructors’ championship ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, behind Aston Martin and Mercedes.
Unlike the competition, who made extensive upgrades after the cancellation of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix for the non-representative race in Monaco, Ferrari decided to postpone the bodywork upgrades planned for Imola until the next race in Barcelona.
Aston Martin waived the postponement and Fernando Alonso finished representative second at Monaco while Esteban Ocon’s revised Alpine finished third. The Mercedes drivers were satisfied with the performance of their upgrades and finished fourth and fifth.
The best Ferrari driver in the Principality was local hero Charles Leclerc, who finished sixth in qualifying after being penalized by five grid positions due to Lando Norris being handicapped.
Fast updates are a priority
Speaking to select media, Vasseur said it “would be a mistake to compare approaches” after rivals with improved cars overtook Ferrari in Monaco.
However, the new team boss emphasizes that the factory is working “at full speed” on updates for the SF-23 because they are “not satisfied” with the results.
He says: “We’re pushing the factory like hell to bring updates asap because we’re not satisfied. I think the results we’re getting at the moment aren’t our goal and we want to get better. We We will definitely continue to develop.”
Vasseur, who said he expected “hard work” early in his tenure at Maranello, says he has not set any performance targets for Ferrari. Instead, he will monitor the progress from day to day: “The goal is not a specific placement. What I have to work on is that we do a better job tomorrow than today.”
All areas under the magnifying glass
And this is how it should work: “As soon as we have analyzed where we have weaknesses in the car, in the team’s approach or in the garage, we pull out all the stops to remedy them.”
Vasseur explains that Ferrari rehearsed “thousands” of pit stops over the winter to fix a weakness for 2022. He is now appealing to “every single employee” to improve Ferrari’s performance.
“It would be a mistake to think that the lack of performance is only due to aerodynamics. Performance comes from everywhere: the rapid production of parts, the strategy, the decisions on the pit wall, the mechanics, the pit stops, the reliability. Everyone in the company contributes to this achievement.”