The 2023 season came with a new promise for Ferrari. A promise to rebuild the team and get it back to winning ways, all under its new team principal, Fred Vasseur. As the season got underway, the Scuderia didn’t look any better than it did last year. In fact, it looked worse. But what’s different about this year is that, as it has progressed, Ferrari has gotten better instead of worse. Even though it’s still miles away from pace-setter Red Bull, there’s a sense of something that wasn’t there before at Maranello. Hope. And it’s all thanks to Vasseur.

The first half of the season wasn’t anything to write home about for Ferrari. In the second half, though, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc have shown signs of what Vasseur is trying to achieve. Until this turnaround happened, Ferrari’s goals were just castles in the air, and an F1 mogul called Vasseur out on it. Now, the mogul has had to swallow his words.

Fred Vasseur turned Ferrari’s “shocking” pace into shocking exploits

This is how Ferrari’s second half of 2023 has played out: a P5 and DNF (due to damage for Leclerc) in Zandvoort. A P3 and P4—Sainz ahead of Leclerc—in Monza. A P1 (Sainz’s second career win) and P4 in Singapore. A P4 and P6—Leclerc ahead of Sainz—in Suzuka. Ferrari has been on a charge for the past month, and it’s all thanks to the small gains it made in the earlier stages of the season. Every race weekend, it took a step toward Red Bull. And now, it’s finally paying dividends. 

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Going into the summer break, almost everyone thought Red Bull would win every race this season. With the team on a 14-race-winning streak, as F1 went to Monza, Carlos Sainz caused slight unrest in the Red Bull garage. How? He got pole position and had the pace to hold off the charging Bulls (at least for a few laps). In the next race in Singapore, he did the impossible. He ended Red Bull’s race-winning streak. From where Ferrari was at the start of the season to now having gotten the better of Red Bull—albeit when it was down—is a commendable achievement.

$600 million-worth F1 mogul and former team boss Eddie Jordan discussed this turnaround on the Formula For Success Podcast. He said, “I looked at the joy of Fred [Vasseur] when he was in Singapore. We were shrugging him off. I was saying, ‘Come on, Fred, get a grip on this Ferrari. It’s shocking!’” His co-host David Coulthard said, “He listened to you,” to which Jordan responded, “Well, actually, I got it wrong. He has turned it around in some ways.” Ferrari, under Vasseur’s leadership, is certainly on the right path. 

“It’s a Pity”: Carlos Sainz Lashes Out at Fred Vasseur & Co. For Unforgivable Error

As intent as he is to get Ferrari back on the top in 2024—which is a real possibility—he revealed how his work for 2023 isn’t done yet.

Ferrari’s real challenge for 2023 lies ahead

It’s been established that Ferrari didn’t start 2023 on the right foot. Since then, it’s made amends, and now, it’s in the fight for P2 in the Constructors’ Championship. Who is it fighting? Mercedes. The Brackley team didn’t start its season any better, either. Considering that, the fact that they’re the teams fighting for the second-best place this year is quite a remarkable feat. Right now, Mercedes has a 20-point lead over Ferrari. Courtesy of the last four races, the Scuderia significantly closed down the gap. With six races to go, the momentum is with Ferrari, and it has no plans of slowing down.

In an interview with Motorsport, Vasseur was asked whether focusing on the SF-23’s development would affect 2024’s car. He said, “It is never a sacrifice because I believe that performance comes from performance. What we can do in the current car will help us for next year. We must not postpone the fight; the fight is today with Mercedes, and we have to face it. It is always the best way to prepare for the future. For everyone to be in the fight is crucial. We will maintain this fight until the end of the season.” 

There are two things Fred Vasseur is concentrating on—securing that P2 and getting Ferrari back in front in 2024. Do you think he can achieve them?

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