Carlos Sainz has noted the traits from the SF-23 Formula 1 car he would like Ferrari to retain for 2024 but admits those could be ceded at the expense of performance gains.
Ferrari entered the recent season aiming to mount a sustained title challenge having returned to race-winning ways during the first year of the sport’s current regulation cycle.
However, the Italian marque’s 2023 charger, an evolution of the previous year’s F1-75, proved to be an unpredictable machine that was prone to extreme performance swings.
Although Ferrari rebounded with a revised car concept to score the only non-Red Bull victory of the season, the team continued to be hindered by troubles over a race distance.
Sainz and team-mate Charles Leclerc logged seven pole positions between them, but the Spaniard’s Singapore win was the only time either driver converted that grid advantage.
Sainz believes Ferrari succeeded in its bid to produce an SF-23 package that was more potent in a straight line, though, while also highlighting the car’s competitiveness in slow-speed corners and over kerbs as areas the team should aim to replicate next year.
When asked in Abu Dhabi in December which aspects of the last car he would want to be carried over, Sainz said: “I would take definitely the straight-line speed and the braking performance and the performance in 90-degree corners, or short duration corners.
“Also the kerb riding I think is a very strong point. So, the car has very, very strong points.”
But the two-time grand prix winner concedes that such strengths may have to be sacrificed in order for Ferrari to assemble a car that maintains its performance in races.
“I feel like if we want to have a car for the whole year maybe we need to give away some of these traits to make sure that we’re quick everywhere,” he explained.
“Especially in the race, I think in the races we really to focus on understanding what are we doing to this car.
“What are we doing to these tyres that is not allowing us to compete in the races at the level of Red Bull and McLaren in Brazil, for example, in Austin, in circuits where you can clearly see we don’t have the race pace [to compete for victories].”
Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur has revealed that “95% of components” will be changed on the team’s 2024 challenger as it endeavours to disrupt Red Bull’s dominance.
Regarding Ferrari’s chances of competing with the reigning Constructors’ Champions from the outset next season, Sainz answered: “It has to be our realistic aim. Will we manage to do it? Only time will tell.
“I want the team to be thinking that it is possible because I believe it is.
“Also, we’ve proven that if McLaren has been able to do these steps during the season, I’m perfectly confident that Ferrari can do it over a winter break.
“I trust this team. I trust the capacity that we have back at home to turn things around.
“There are still circuits where we are on pole by 0.3s to the Red Bull. It’s just that it’s a very specific trait of the car that really is good. We just need to make it an all-rounder.”
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