In 2022, Ferrari competed directly with Red Bull for the world championship. But they were soon steamrolled by their rivals in the second part of the season. Charles Leclerc, who was their main man
The Milton Keynes outfit was comfortable with their races in the last part of the season and had sealed the title at the United States Grand Prix three races before the end of the season.
Thus, it led to a massive shake-up in Ferrari. Mattia Binotto, the former team principal of the F1 team, was sacked by the hierarchy. And now, ahead of the new season, Frederic Vasseur has taken over the baton to lead the team.
Also read: 5-GP Winner Charles Leclerc Receives An Overwhelming Welcome Ahead Of 2023 Challenge
Mattia Binotto reveals why Ferrari slipped
At the start of the season, it seemed like Red Bull was in for yet another stiff competition as Ferrari seemed to have an extraordinary pace. But the ex-Ferrari boss reveals the team had other priorities.
“We stopped working on the F1-75 after the French GP, starting to focus on the 675 already in the summer. This affected our competitiveness in the second part of the season,” said Binotto.
Project 675 is Ferrari’s contention for the 2023 season, and at the French GP, only did Leclerc have a massive crash, and he marked that event where he felt he was out of the championship fight, with Max Verstappen widening the gap.
French Grand Prix
Charles Leclerc dramatically crashes out of the French Grand Prix on Sunday
He let out a frustrated scream as he spun out on the 11th turn in France
The crash gave Max Verstappen a potentially vital lead in the Drivers’ Championship pic.twitter.com/7gMJ9CNZ4x
— Lilian Chan (@bestgug) July 24, 2022
Is 2023 going to be better for Charles Leclerc?
Though Binotto isn’t wrong about focusing on 675 right after the French GP, by then, both Red Bull and Verstappen had fetched enough lead to sustain against their rivals for the rest of the season.
And the consistent performances by Verstappen seemed to look it even harder. Now, ahead of the new season, initial reports from Ferrari’s camp are giving some positive news to the fans.
Reportedly, 675 gives a second better timing than its predecessor, F1-75, on the simulator. Seeing this year’s regulations update, cars will likely lose half a second in their performances. So, Ferrari getting much time is indeed extraordinary.
Though, the overall picture will only be known once the season starts. Leclerc and his teammate Carlos Sainz have reported back to Ferrari and were involved in private testing where they drove Ferrari’s 2021 car- SF21.
Also read: Damon Hill Gives Tribute to Michael Schumacher With This Rare Appearance in His Title Winning Car
