Following speculation that Ferrari were set to introduce a new concept of the SF-23 once the 2023 F1 season reaches Europe, team principal Frederic Vasseur has quashed any rumours of a “B-car”, with the Frenchman having assured that Ferrari are “sticking to the plan”.
It had been suggested that Ferrari’s upcoming major upgrades would result in the SF-23 looking dramatically different, similar to what is expected to happen at Mercedes in Imola.
Instead, Ferrari are simply upgrading their car based on its current concept, with Vasseur admitting that the car is set to be updated “massively”.
No upgrades are set to be introduced at next weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix; however, Ferrari will be taking updates to the races which follow it, starting with the Miami Grand Prix.
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“No, I don’t think so,” Vasseur said, as per Formula1.com.
“I think that we will have a flow of updates that some will come… Not at Baku, because Baku we have the aero package for the level of downforce, [and] with the Sprint race it’s not the easiest one. But from Miami, Imola, not Monaco, but Barcelona – each race will have an update on the car.
“We are sticking to the plan, but we’ve made some adjustments, I think, in terms of balance and behaviour. It [the car] was much better in Melbourne and we’ll continue in this direction.
“I don’t know if you can speak about… It’s not a B-car, if it’s what you want to say. We won’t come with something completely different; we’ll continue to update this one and we’ll try to update massively.”
Whilst Ferrari are set to introduce several upgrades, they have been limited like every other team by the budget cap.
Vasseur believes it would be “very difficult” to introduce a new concept during the season like Mercedes are given all the restrictions, in regard to the cost cap and also how little wind tunnel time the frontrunners receive.
Ferrari ultimately “have the feeling” that their current concept is the right one and that steps in the “right direction” are being made, with Vasseur feeling confident that there is still “tonnes of room for improvement”.
“You have to consider all the aspects of this,” Vasseur said.
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“To do a new project during the season, to start from scratch, to do a new car… With the cost cap first, but also considering the restriction of the wind tunnel time, I don’t want to say it’s impossible, but it’s very difficult.
“Also, on our side, we have the feeling – and I hope that we are right and we are moving in the right direction – that we have still tonnes of room for improvement on the car.
“As long as we are still able to develop the car, get points on the aero, to get a better balance, to get a better stability and so [on], I think it makes sense to push in this direction.”