Ferrari’s main driver, Carlos Sainz, feels that the team’s change in approach this weekend could improve their race pace. The team has spent time investigating their issues from the Saudi Arabian GP and has come up with potential setup solutions.
Revising SF23 car for the Australian GP
They did not bring any aero updates to the SF23 car, making it easier to make direct comparisons with the previous race. In qualifying, Sainz qualified fifth and felt good in the car with the new setup, despite the aim being to improve race trim. The team has taken a different approach this weekend to try and improve their race pace by changing the car on the setup.
Struggling start of Ferrari SF23 car
Ferrari’s SF23 car has made a disappointing start to the season. The car has struggled in races with tyre degradation and posed no threat to Red Bull. Carlos Sainz admits that the capacity of development of their car concept is lower than that of Red Bull’s car. Red Bull’s car is superior in all areas, including straightline speed, medium/low-speed corners, tyre management, over the kerbs and bumps.
Ferrari carried over its design concept from last year to improve its straight-line performance but Red Bull has raised the bar and is formidable in speed traps and downforce level. As a result, Ferrari needs to react quickly to catch up with Red Bull; otherwise, they are going to run away with it.
Hope for Ferrari success
Despite his team’s bad start to the season, Sainz refuses to discount any hope of fighting for the championship and points to Mercedes’ recovery last year. He believes that Ferrari needs to change something and start looking at their competitors. The team must improve their package as the car is very peaky and unpredictable in the race.
Ferrari’s plan is to bring as many upgrades as possible as soon as possible to try and repair the situation. Sainz sees no reason to expect a different level of performance from Ferrari in Australia, but he remains hopeful for improvement.
The real test for Ferrari comes tomorrow
Sainz stated that Ferrari has taken a different approach this weekend to improve the race pace and has changed the car on the setup. He felt comfortable with the new setup in qualifying and hoped it would work in the race as well, but the real test comes tomorrow. Sainz felt that the changes made him better over one lap, but an unfortunate preparation lap cost him a top-three position.
Sainz is hoping to keep pace with the Astons and Mercedes and fight them in the race. He acknowledged that Ferrari falling back in the race would be similar to their performance in Jeddah. But he also added, “We are trying everything we can to get more competitive.”
In conclusion, Ferrari’s poor start to the season has been a cause of concern for both its drivers and fans alike. However, with their newfound approach of changing the car’s setup rather than focusing solely on aerodynamics, they might just be able to turn things around. The true test for Ferrari remains tomorrow during the Australian Grand Prix, where they will try their best to keep pace with Aston Martin and Mercedes while fighting back against Red Bull.
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