Ferrari's Latest Upgrades: Will They Propel the Iconic Brand to the Top of the Competition?

Although the Scuderia Ferrari already has its eyes on the 2024 Formula 1 season, the steps towards the top have begun in 2023 with the SF-23. It is the only non-Red Bull car until today that has taken a win during the current campaign of the pinnacle of motor racing.

If Ferrari hits the Jackpot 6000 with its challenger for the 2024 Formula 1 season or not, it will be a matter of three main areas aligning and working properly for the entire Grand Prix calendar: the drivers (Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc), the race strategy team, and, perhaps most crucially, the technical team responsible for the car.

The scarlet organization is certainly working towards that target and the process is underway at Maranello.

After a mediocre first half of this season, Ferrari's second half has been, generally, strong. The team did not put major upgrades on its machines for the first few races after the summer break, as was announced by Team Principal Fred Vasseur.

Still, Japan and Qatar were the planned spots where Ferrari's technical teams would add tweaks to the aerodynamic side of the car. The SF-23 mainly got a new floor with updates on the diffuser, inlet vanes and more for the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka.

As announced by Ferrari's Performance Engineer Jock Clear in September, the team's development program has continued in 2023, but there aren't any major updates on the car.

Of course, addressing tyre wear in race trim was a must for the Scuderia, and the team managed to do well in the heat of Singapore and at Suzuka in that department, although results were quite different.

Carlos Sainz won the Singapore GP with brilliant race management, while the team only managed a fourth and sixth place at Suzuka, being clearly behind Red Bull and McLaren.

Moreover, consecutive Pole Positions in the Italian and Singapore rounds in tremendously different track layouts can definitely give Ferrari hopes of carrying confidence and performance into the 2024 Formula 1 season to challenge Red Bull for both titles.

Ahead of the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, there are issues which Ferrari needs to address. The introduced upgrades to the floor in Suzuka will definitely continue to be studied. They are also trying to find solutions for the SF-23's nature to understeer. This occurs especially in high-downforce packages, which is what we expect at the Losail International Circuit.

That situation could be more around setups rather than the development program for Ferrari's 2023 F1 car, but it should also provide key information for the team to create a new 2024 F1 car that goes away from the issues seen in the current challenger.

Tyre management during races has been challenging for Ferrari in 2023, but recent outings have shown progress in that regard. Of course, making it work around the long corners of Qatar will be needed, and that's an area to address.

What is there to Gain in the Rest of the 2023 F1 Season

The Scuderia Ferrari started the second half of the current Formula 1 season in fourth place in the World Constructors' Championship, trailing Red Bull, Mercedes, and Aston Martin.

Ferrari had 191 points at the end of the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, while its direct rivals, Mercedes and Aston Martin, had 247 and 196 points, respectively.

The first race after the summer break, the Dutch Grand Prix, wasn't easy for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc had a dismal weekend and did not finish the race. Still, Carlos Sainz managed to salvage a fifth place at Zandvoort.

In the following round, at Ferrari's home race in Monza, the Scuderia saw Sainz grab Saturday's Pole Position and the team put up a nice 3-4 on Sunday's event.

Monza's results saw Ferrari leap Aston Martin for third place in the WCC.

Sainz and Ferrari took advantage of Red Bull's woes in Singapore and the Spanish driver won the race from Pole Position, while leading every lap.

Leclerc, whose race was compromised to help Sainz in the early stages of the Singapore round, still finished fourth.

The Japanese Grand Prix wasn't as great for Ferrari in terms of pace and results. But fourth for Leclerc ahead of Lewis Hamilton and sixth for Sainz, ahead of George Russell, put Ferrari firmly in contention for second place in the World Constructors' Championship.

Last time out in Qatar, back in 2021, Ferrari struggled as Charles Leclerc was eliminated in the second phase of Qualifying and Carlos Sainz only achieving a seventh place on the grid.

The pair went on to finish seventh and eighth in the race, more than 80 seconds behind the winner, Lewis Hamilton.

It should be different for Ferrari at Qatar in 2023, given a generally stronger car and better knowledge of the upcoming circuit, which was a new venue back in 2021.

In the fight among Constructors, Mercedes has 305 points, in part thanks to Hamilton's consistency. However, the Maranello-based Scuderia is only 20 points behind with six races left in the calendar.

Ferrari was 56 points behind Mercedes at the start of the summer break. The trend suggests that the fight between the two teams could go down to the wire. Nevertheless, Ferrari can't afford to have off weekends against Mercedes' unimpressive but steady performances in the 2023 F1 campaign.

Regardless, what could be most important for the Scuderia Ferrari in the remainder of the 2023 Grand Prix season is to close it out with good performances and a solid car that can transition into a winning machine for 2024.

Carrying over confidence from one season to another can result in title contention for the top teams, but Ferrari needs a strong step to achieve that quickly.

Being the only team to win a race apart from Red Bull in 2023 is already a good feat for Ferrari. It should work as fuel to return to challenging for wins consistently and in different layouts and conditions.

Drivers' confidence in the car in itself doesn't translate into success quite easily, but having confidence as a team and working to solve issues with the machinery go a long way in creating a winning culture when paired with full trust and cooperation from those behind the wheel.

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