The orderly 2023 F1 car development contrasts with Ferrari's managerial disarray

Ferrari may be going through managerial changes, but the quiet progress being made with its 2023 Formula 1 car contrasts sharply with that uncertainty.

Charles Leclerc's Ferrari at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. (Image: Twitter/Scuderia Ferrari)
By Mahaksh Chauhan | Dec 12, 2022 | 2 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

The team will have a harder winter than expected as a result of team president Mattia Binotto’s resignation following the failures of the 2022 season. Whatever attributes Binotto’s potential successor Fred Vasseur possesses, it will take time for him to grasp the organization’s strengths and limitations in order to determine where change is necessary. And in the cost-cap era of Formula One, making the incorrect choice early in the season can have serious long-term repercussions. Ferrari’s decision to let Binotto leave has raised some debate, but on the production floor, it’s business as usual as it puts the finishing touches on its 2023 F1 car. And for the time being, which is very important, the team continues to rely on Binotto’s critical technical contribution. He is still under contract and hard at work in Maranello through the end of the year.

Working Hard ?

Charles Leclerc stressed at the FIA Prize Gala last weekend in Bologna that the technical team members should not be sidetracked by the organization’s larger infrastructure problems. He expressed confidence in the development of the 2023 car, saying, “I am sure since we are doing quite a lot of work at the simulator.” “Over the past year, we’ve worked incredibly hard to try and identify what this car’s limitations were in order to improve for next year’s car. Of course, Mattia is still in the factory right now, working and attempting to assist the team in preparing for 2023. Again, I think we shouldn’t suffer too much if the change is handled well. “I also believe that we have been working in the right direction and in the right way following the 2021 season, where we have been working really well and have somewhat reset it from 2020, which was a challenging season. And that gives me hope that by 2023, we’ll have a competitive vehicle.

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Positive signs

Ferrari has also been wise in agreeing to aid Pirelli as much as it can with its 2023 tyre development programme, understanding that any feedback it can provide or receive may be very important for performance during race weekends. The 675 will not look all that different from the F1-75 from the outside. Although there will be some changes, the basic idea will stay the same. Most notably, the back end will be altered to allow for a much more obvious form in the Coca-Cola section. The development that engine chief Enrico Gualtieri and his team have made with the 066/7 power unit’s dependability is another factor that inspires confidence. Positive test bench results indicate that the dependability issues that plagued the first half of 2022 have been resolved, which has increased confidence in the team’s ability to operate at full capacity again the following year.