F1, Ferrari: in Japan to "treat" SF-23's unpredictability | 2023 Suzuka GP

09/21/2023 12:26 PM

For Ferrari, the Japanese Grand Prix truly begins after the Thursday driver press conferences, where the first updates on the cars start to emerge. In this regard, we refer you to the technical insights, which mainly concern Ferrari, as they will introduce an updated version of the floor with the goal, among others, of making the SF-23 less prone to understeer. Hopefully, this will benefit Charles Leclerc, who doesn’t favor the opposite behavior that the Italian car has been displaying this season.

The victory in Singapore shouldn’t lead to illusions, of course. No one thinks it necessarily has to be a sporadic event, but the chances of Red Bull RB19 returning to its usual flying form are very real. And it can happen as early as tomorrow. The SF-23 is and remains a car with its flaws, and that’s why they will attempt corrections that could represent the final package of updates for a championship approaching its conclusion.

Ferrari SF-23: Carlos Sainz Sees Red Bull as the Favorite
“We must continue working diligently to maintain performance consistency,” Carlos Sainz began with the media. “Singapore is already in the past; we need to focus on Suzuka. Our car still struggles in some areas, while it’s very good in others. There have been tracks where the SF-23 adapted well, like Monza and Marina Bay, while others, like Zandvoort and Silverstone, where we struggled more.”

Suzuka could be one of those tracks. That’s why the setup calibration is a crucial factor on a track featuring corners like the Esses, 130R, and the Spoon, where the steering wheel is turned for an extended period, something that has challenged the (precarious) balance that makes the SF-23 work at its best. The Singapore winner knows this and doesn’t hide it:

“The Ferrari is still a complicated car, and we are searching for the right setup. The only thing I can say is that we have worked hard to find the ideal setup, and probably we haven’t quite found it yet. For this reason, every weekend, we try something different on the car; sometimes we are fast, and sometimes not so much.”

The truth is that Maranello is much less groping in the dark than what Carlos, in a misleading stance, implies. For some time now, the SF-23 has shown its ability to adapt to very different conditions. The excellent performances at Monza and Singapore are clear evidence of this. Suzuka, with its severity, might be the ultimate test to “measure” the car’s growth and the team’s understanding of the package.

Ferrari SF-23: Charles Leclerc Teams Up and Quiets Rumors
Precisely because the Japanese circuit is particularly tricky, Charles Leclerc is proceeding with caution, believing that Formula 1 will return to observing the technical values expressed until Monza, with Red Bull taking the lead. “Suzuka? We will probably have a clearer picture after the free practice sessions. Because in Singapore, we were very competitive, but the team dominating the season had a bad weekend, while our other rivals were as competitive as usual. Our approach doesn’t change here: we will work on every detail with the goal of scoring as many points as possible,” explained Charles.

The Monegasque, inadvertently, finds himself involved in a sort of faction war that exists only in certain media narratives and in the minds of some overly passionate fans. Carlos’ victory, Ferrari’s first of the season, has never been a source of envy or controversy for Charles; instead, it’s a motivation to do better and work towards making the SF-23 his true ally.

“The interests of Ferrari always come first, and therefore, it was clear after qualifying that I had to be ready to help Carlos. The fact that we managed to achieve this victory motivates me and pushes me even more to do well because I also want to stand on the top step of the podium as soon as possible.”

And just this would be enough to put an end to the hysterical chatter that sees divisions where there is complete unity of purpose. Charles, who doesn’t chase such divergences, remains focused on the task at hand, setting goals that essentially lead to a Ferrari that must try to secure second place in the Constructors’ Championship.

“Last year, we finished in second place in the constructors’ standings, and our goal this year was to be the best. However, Red Bull has done an extraordinary job, so our target is once again second place. It will be an exciting end to the season since the competition is fierce. Predicting on-track performance this year is very challenging because no one would have expected Red Bull to have so many problems in Singapore, and for us to be faster. Here in Japan, we expect them to be ahead, and we will do our best to be right behind them.”

In Japan, shadows have lengthened until they disappeared as darkness took over. The first green light will come on in the Italian night when we will begin to see if the Scuderia can navigate through the challenges of the iconic Suzuka circuit.

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