F1 News: Ferrari Chief Commends Reaction Of Team During 2023 Struggles

Fred Vasseur has spoken out on Ferrari's struggles during the 2023 season.

Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur candidly shared his thoughts on the team's third-place finish in the 2023 F1 Constructors' Championship, underlining a drive for significant improvement. 

Key Takeaways:

• Early Season Struggles: The Ferrari team, led by drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, encountered a series of reliability issues early in the season. This posed significant challenges, leaving them trailing behind their main rivals, Red Bull, and in a tight contest with Mercedes and Aston Martin for second place.
• Mid-Season Recovery and Achievements: Despite the initial setbacks, the Ferrari SF-23 car showed remarkable progress mid-season. This was highlighted by Leclerc's excellent performance in qualifying rounds and Sainz's standout victory at the Singapore Grand Prix, marking a pivotal moment in their season.
• Internal Dialogue and Team Spirit: Vasseur emphasised the importance of continuous internal communication within Ferrari. He shared his own dissatisfaction with the early performance, underscoring the proactive stance taken by the team to address the issues and the collective spirit in responding to these challenges.

Ferrari Press Image

At the outset of the 2023 F1 season, Ferrari faced a series of hurdles, primarily concerning the reliability of their race cars. This put their drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, at a disadvantage, resulting in a challenging phase where they lagged behind the extremely dominant Red Bull team and engaged in a close fight with Mercedes and Aston Martin.

However, the season witnessed a turning point as the SF-23 began to unleash its potential. Leclerc's skill in qualifying and Sainz's impressive win in Singapore were pivotal in demonstrating Ferrari's ability to bounce back and compete at the highest level.

Vasseur, while discussing the team's performance, referenced Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna's remark that 'second is the first of the losers', to highlight the ongoing, rigorous internal discussions at Ferrari. He expressed his personal disappointment with the team's initial performance, especially the reliability issues, stating, as quoted by RacingNews365:

"We didn't wait for the end of the championship to discuss it but the advantage at Ferrari is that we have daily discussions, we are not far away.

"Nobody can be happy with what we did at the beginning of the season.

"We had too many issues with reliability and I was the first one upset with this - and performance."

Despite the initial disappointment, Vasseur expressed pride in how the team handled the adversity. He noted significant improvements in the latter part of the season, including numerous pole positions and competitive performances against Max Verstappen.

"But I think, more than everything, that the reaction of group, the reaction of the team, the fact we were able to... I am not a big fan of statistics, but we had something like five pole positions out of the last eight events, the fact we were able to fight with Max on some occasions during the races also was a good step forward.

"Even if we are not happy - and again, I am the first one, I do not need Mr Vigna or Mr Elkann telling me, I am not happy with P3, this is clear - but I am more than happy with the reaction of the team and I think this feeling is the same for everybody."