In the last few races, Ferrari looked like the team from 2022 showing signs of a resurgence, taking the battle to Red Bull and Max Verstappen before the Dutchman ran away with the driver’s title. Showing strong signs of improvement, Ferrari’s CEO, Benedetto Vigna, revealed the recent performances have instilled new confidence within the team as they look to take on Mercedes for P2 in the constructor’s title in the last three races of the season while also working on the car for the next season.
The first half of the 2023 season was a rocky road for the Maranello outfit as their drivers often failed to make it into the top five of a GP. However, the team soon found its rhythm, especially after the mid-season break. With great pace, Carlos Sainz got pole position in the team’s home GP qualifying before moving to Singapore, where he became the first and only driver to defeat Red Bull in a Grand Prix this season.
💬 “Recent podiums and the improvements made give us the confidence to prepare for the next season” ⤵️🏎👇https://t.co/x1ML3dSAEj
— Scuderia Fans (@ScuderiaFansF1) November 3, 2023
With the fight for P2 hotter than ever, Vigna revealed the Ferrari camp has found new confidence and is working hard towards developing a better car for the 2024 season, according to Formula Passion.
“The recent podiums and the improvements made give us the push to prepare for the next season. It is clear that we must continue to improve and close our technical gap. On the one hand we are strengthening the team under the leadership of Frederic Vasseur, on the other hand, we are expanding our production infrastructure for racing, which will guarantee us greater speed of development and quality.”
While the team back in Maranello is working hard towards developing a championship-worthy car, the drivers on the track are doing their part in keeping Mercedes on their toes. In the battle to be the next-best after Red Bull, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc claims there is still a lot of racing left for them to secure P2.
Ferrari won’t let Mercedes have it all their way in the final few races of the season
Having been, at one point, in the middle of the constructor’s rankings, Ferrari has made considerable improvements to now rank P3. With only a 22-point gap between them and Mercedes, the Italian team would be looking to close the gap and take the lead in the last three races of the season. Despite Lewis Hamilton finding his rhythm, George Russell is still struggling with mechanical issues, and Ferrari would want to take full advantage of the same.
“It’s a fun battle like Lewis said” 👊
Carlos Sainz on Ferrari’s battle with Mercedes in the Constructors’ Championship 👇 pic.twitter.com/DvPe2mTr9I
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 2, 2023
Addressing the same, Leclerc claimed his team “will do everything” to finish second in the championship. While the goal looks achievable, it won’t come too easily. Irrespective of a DSQ, Hamilton finished second in the last two races, ahead of both Ferrari drivers. As such, it looks improbable that Ferrari drivers would be able to outrank both Mercedes drivers, much less try and win a race.
Given their impressive improvements in the back end of the season, there will be high hopes from the Tifosi for a much more competitive season next year. However, with McLaren and Mercedes also improving considerably well, there might be a three-way battle for P2 should Red Bull once again run away with the constructor’s title.
