Despite a rocky start to the season, Ferrari has made significant strides in the constructors’ standings, closing the gap with the formidable Mercedes team. Their performance has been marked by a series of strategic decisions and technical upgrades that have seen them gain speed and competitiveness over the course of the season. Additionally, Carlos Sainz’s victory in Singapore marked the first non-Red Bull win of the season for Ferrari.
One of the keys to Ferrari’s performance is its relentless pursuit of Mercedes. As more teams focus on building their 2024 cars, Ferrari team boss Fred Vasser has stressed the importance of not giving up the Mercedes fight.
Ferrari has made progress in improving its speed over the 2023 Formula 1 season. Recently, one of the primary areas of focus has been to improve the car’s top speed with greater aerodynamic efficiency. This was in response to Red Bull’s impressive top speed, which forced Ferrari to react.
Ferrari’s efforts to overtake Mercedes
Ferrari is currently only 20 points behind Mercedes in the constructors’ standings. This is a remarkable achievement, considering that they were trailing by 56 points just four races ago. The team’s resurgence has been led by Carlos Sainz, who became the first non-Red Bull winner of the season in Singapore.
Ferrari’s team principal, Fred Vasseur, has been instrumental in this turnaround. He insists that the team will continue to chase Mercedes without sacrificing any efforts towards next year’s program.
Talking about this, Vasseur stated, “You don’t have to postpone the fight; the fight is with Mercedes today, and we have to take it.” in an interview with MotorSport
Vasseur believes that being in the fight is crucial for the team’s mindset, and they will keep this fight until the end of the season. Vasser said maintaining a competitive mindset and remaining challenging Mercedes is essential to achieve P2.
Looking Ahead to 2024
As we look ahead to 2024, the trajectory of both Ferrari and Mercedes will be interesting to watch. Both teams have already switched their wind tunnel programs to their 2024 cars. However, Ferrari had a new floor in Suzuka, One of the last of the major upgrades for the SF-23 that are working their way from the tunnel to the track.
Vasseur stressed that the team has shown good performance for a while, even before recent upgrades. “We also have to avoid drawing too quick conclusions, “Before the break, in Spa, we were also in good shape,” Vasseur stated.
Both teams are expected to bring more improvements to their cars, and the battle for the P2 spot is likely to be decided by slim margins.
