Scuderia Ferrari challenged for both championships during the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship season but failed in their pursuit of both due to a number of engine failures and strategic mishaps, Charles Leclerc is ready to once again challenge for the Championships in 2023 and try to correct the errors made last year to enable the team to go one step further.
Leclerc was impressive in qualifying last season, but more often than not failed to convert pole into a race win on Sunday. Based on testing, Ferrari still seem like they are behind Oracle Red Bull Racing in terms of pace, but overall, Leclerc was pleased with the team’s test and hopes it will help them going into the first race weekend at the Bahrain International Circuit.
“We got through our planned programme and did all the tests we were meant to do. It seems that we have made some steps forward compared to last year. I’d say this year’s car is quicker down the straights and slightly slower in the corners, but that’s what we were looking for to overcome our limitations from last season.
“There is still work to do, as we know we are up against very tough opponents and, in the case of the reigning champions, they seem to have a slight edge over us at the moment. But our goals for this season remain the same: we want to finish one place higher in the Constructors’ and Drivers’ championships.”
Carlos Sainz Jr. – “We are just focussing on ourselves”
Carlos Sainz Jr. had a season of highs and lows in 2022 and despite grabbing his first race win at the British Grand Prix, he could have had more if it wasn’t for a number of reasons. Sainz will be hoping to iron out any errors he made last season and maximise the potential in the new Ferrari SF-23 and challenge his teammate much harder than he did at times in 2022.
“We have the busiest season ever ahead of us and we know that nothing will be decided this weekend. Of course, I can’t wait to push all the way on track to see how the car feels on the limit.”
Sainz discussed the tough competition that Ferrari will be facing in the upcoming season with the potential of Mercedes and Aston Martin joining the battle for race wins and podiums early on in the season.
“I think that as the season is about to start, there are several teams that look well prepared. Obviously, the world champions, but also Mercedes and Aston Martin seem to have done a good job. At the moment, we are just focussing on ourselves, but we know that, as from tomorrow, it’s the track that will decide the true pecking order between the teams.”
The Spaniard considered Ferrari’s testing fairly successful and is pleased that the team are now extremely knowledgeable about the strengths and weaknesses of the new car going into the first race weekend of the season
“We tackled it managing to make the most of the time available. I had the right approach physically and mentally and also when working with the engineers, we were always in agreement on the direction we were going in. We tried the car in every configuration to understand its strengths and weaknesses and I feel that we are coming into this season better prepared when compared to the last one.”
