Ferrari must restart fromSaudi Arabia after the bad fall in Bahrain. Expectations at the beginning of the year vanished together with the podium of Charles Leclerc, who was forced to retire due to a wiring problem that caused the ECU to shut down. A silent problem, not highlighted during the tests or in the other sessions of the weekend but which cost the Maranello team more than it should have.
After careful evaluation, Ferrari took note of what happened in Bahrain and of the fact that none of the two control units used during the weekend, the one changed beforehand before the GP, let alone the one that went haywire during the Grand Prix, would have been reliable at 100%.
Don't call them reliability issues
Ferrari, having become aware of the mystery that forced Leclerc to a heavy zero, found itself with its back to the wall. The only solution, also considering that the problem did not reside in the control unit but in the simple connector, was therefore to start over and draw on the first of the "extra" units of the season, the third. A choice confirmed by Vasseur yesterday and which will lead to the first penalty season for Charles Leclerc, who will start 10 positions behind the one he will get in Saturday's qualifying.
Incurring a penalty at the second Grand Prix of the year can't be pleasant at all. Even more if we look at Ferrari's recent past and the reliability problems that characterized 2022. Problems of a completely different nature than the one seen in Bahrain and which had forced the team to sacrifice engine power. The team not only knows it won't have to repeat what happened last year, but also hopes to be able to gradually take the SF-23 to a higher competitive level to give Red Bull a hard time.
"It's not nice to have a penalty in the second race – Charles said to the microphones of Sky Sport F1 – but that's how it went now. We understand the problem and we have to look ahead. It will be an uphill weekend but I like the challenge. I want to recover with overtaking and merits – explained Charles regarding the penalty on the grid – not for Safety Car or anything else. The team is motivated, we are all pushing in the same direction and we will push to close the gap with Red Bull.”
Exchange with Lewis? Talk to Charles
Inevitably when Ferrari has problems the name of Charles Leclerc is often brought up. Charles Leclerc is a talented, stubborn driver who deeply loves the Reds. After the exit in Bahrain, the penalty and the rumors about his possible departure from the Reds that has disappointed him so much in recent years, the most awaited statements of the weekend were his, especially regarding a question of the exit "driver market" in these days. In particular on a possible exchange with Lewis Hamilton.
To Mara Sangiorgio's question Charles replies that he has never heard as many rumors about the team, about him and his future as this week. He adds that he doesn't know if it's a move to put more pressure on the team but that his relationship with everyone in Maranello is healthier than ever. Woe therefore to anyone who disputes his love for Ferrari. “For me it is very clear. I'm in Red, it's obvious how much I love Ferrari and how much I want to win again with Ferrari."
The Monegasque also knows that starting this year he can count on the support of Vasseur, his former mentor in Alfa Romeo, determined to restore order and stability to Ferrari, which remained in pieces after 2022.
SF-23 updates
A Jeddah despite the penalty, a Ferrari closer to the ideal performance of the RB19 is expected, and this is because on paper the Saudi track would enhance the efficiency of the SF-23, as well as causing fewer problems in terms of tire management. The team will also bring the first ones developments, including a new front wing, to solve the set up problems we had in Bahrain. We will also see the return ofsingle-pylon wing on both cars. Specification introduced on the last day of testing and in FP1 in Bahrain but which had been shelved as it didn't lead to the desired results.
