The promises on the eve of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, of a more performing SF-23, and more comfortable on the high-speed track, were not kept. Again Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz they finished off the podium, outcome that can't disguise theirs disappointment. Redhead is a long way from where she would like to be. To worry there is not only the spectrum of reliability but a deeper problem, and difficult to solve in the short term, or rather the one linked to the design philosophy of the SF-23, to what is underneath its guise.
Two races, two extremely different circuits and equally disappointing results. Of greater concern, the response of Jeddah, a track that on paper should have enhanced the SF-23. Now it's no longer a question of how much to push with the engine or to hide. Rather than quickly figure out what to do to reverse this negative trend. It's not just about set-up but about a real revolution to do under the skin. Mercedes, even if extremely late, had already understood it from Bahrain. At Ferrari it was a real cold shower in Jeddah. It's really hard to go back now. The only hope is to be able to adjust the shot in the breaks, after Melbourne and in the summer.
Even on the reliability front, the situation remains under observation, the team - after the problem in Bahrain, preferred to replace even some elements of Leclerc's PU on the eve of Jeddah. Precisely on this topic, and on the possibility of reusing the elements of the first unit, he spoke Vasseur.
Vasseur, first reusable Power Unit
The team had to carefully evaluate the effects of the faulty wiring problem in Bahrain, but the response seems to be positive. Although the Monegasque was left without ECUs, which led to his penalty in Jeddah, Vasseur reassured everyone about the other elements replaced as a precaution before the Grand Prix, i.e. the MGU-H and the second internal combustion engine. "We were quite confident about the outcome of the problem in Bahrain, but we didn't want to take any chances“he told Sky Sports F1 ahead of the race. “We will use engine one a little later in the season. We preferred not to risk it for this weekend. But there are no worries. "
The new team principal underlined after the race that there are far more serious problems to deal with, also speaking very openly about the current state of Ferrari, defining it "unacceptable". He doesn't mince words because he knows that the Reds need a real earthquake, and that already this year the changes must bear the first fruits to work better on the next seasons.
Statement source: PlanetF1
