Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna is pleased to see “some signs of improvement” by the Maranello-based team at last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, where the Italians looked strong.
Following a disappointing performance at the Hungarian Grand Prix, Ferrari bounced back at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps, with Charles Leclerc having claimed third for the team.
Leclerc did well to remain a few seconds ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who was giving it his all to catch the Ferrari driver.
Carlos Sainz also showed promising pace in Belgium but was forced to retire mid-race following substantial damage to his car.
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The Spaniard collided with Oscar Piastri at Turn 1 on the opening lap, which led to the McLaren driver instantly retiring.
Sainz had tried to finish the race, but his damage saw him tumble down the order to the point where continuing in the race was pointless.
Despite Sainz’s disappointing result, the SF-23 did look strong at the legendary circuit, giving the Italians something to take into the summer break.
Vigna was pleased by the performance and insisted that the team want to “continue improving”, something they’re striving to do.
“In some recent races, such as last weekend at Spa-Francorchamps, we saw some signs of improvement,” Vigna said whilst speaking to financial analysts, as per La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Clearly we want to continue improving and we are working day and night to make our car more competitive.”
With the exception of 2022, the last few years have been horrid for Ferrari.
The famous manufacturer has been nowhere near good enough to fight for either championship, with Red Bull and Mercedes having been the dominant sides over recent years.
Not fighting for the title hasn’t ended Ferrari’s interest in the sport though, with them set to continue fighting with “spirit”.
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“Racing is our heritage and, more than ever, a stimulus to further innovate,” Vigna said.
“It is the will to progress that we must always keep alive – it is the legacy of our founder that we must constantly cultivate with trust and humility.
“We started the world championship with this spirit, but with a level of competitiveness that was lower than our expectations,” Vigna admitted.