Having not won a championship since 2008, it finally looked as if the major changes in regulations that came into effect last year would see Ferrari return to title winning glory.
The Scuderia came flying out of the blocks in Bahrain with a one-two finish, while both Red Bulls retired with reliability issues and Mercedes looked significantly off of the pace.
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari built up a healthy lead in both championships, before reliability issues of their own and strategic blunders opened the door for Red Bull to cruise to victory.
Ahead of the 2023 season the team have replaced their former team principal Mattia Binotto with Alfa Romeo’s Fred Vasseur, hoping that this change in leadership can spark a more successful season for Ferrari.
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The Scuderia will launch the SF-23 on February 14th and excitement is slowing building as rumours begin to emerge surrounding the capability of their new car.
While the team have promised to solve their unreliable engine, there are another of other upgrades that could be set to turn Ferrari from title challengers to title favourites.
According to Mototsport.com the new data from the new power unit is very impressive as is the feedback on the car’s aerodynamic design.
It has been suggested that the team have stunningly shaved over a second off of their 2022 lap times with the SF-23, a difference that could completely change the team’s expectations going into Bahrain.
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Ferrari have also re-signed Davide Mazzoni to oversee the development of the internal combustion engine, with the Italian to increase performance gains from the E10 fuel.
Many teams are expected to sandbag in pre-season testing, in order to hide the true potential of their cars before heading into the first race weekend of the year.
This means that fans will have to wait until the season kicks off with the Bahrain Grand Prix to find out just how competitive the SF-23 will be, with fans of Ferrari growing quietly confident about their team’s chances this season.