15/02/2023
NEWS STORY
Before a wheel has turned in anger, Ferrari wins the 'best launch of 2023' prize as fans are treated to a live demo run of the Scuderia's 2023 contender.
No 2022 car dressed up to look like its successor, no pulsating rock music, no clothes being flogged, no corporates in grey suits and precious little waffle, as Ferrari unveils the SF-23 and sets a new benchmark in launches.
Today's launch started with a grandstand filled with tifosi, all clearly up for the occasion.
First Carlos Sainz was interviewed, then teammate Charles Leclerc, their every utterance cheered on by the adoring crowd.
We then moved to a different part of Fiorano where Marc Gene chatted with new team boss, Frederic Vasseur, after which Leclerc completed two laps of the Fiorano track in the new car.
"Over the past five weeks, I have had the chance to get to know many members of our team," said Vasseur. "We have a great group of people here and it is clear that motivation is high throughout the team.
"Today we launch our 2023 contender, and I am very pleased with how the car looks. I love the red colour and the ‘Effe Lunga' that spans across the rear wing, reminding us of our heritage.
"Our focus will soon shift to another aspect, which is its speed and performance. We have two talented drivers who are both eager to win and have the skills needed to achieve this.
"Our objective is to win the championship, which will not be an easy task as our competitors will have exactly the same target in mind. We have to bring the right mind-set with us and always work on being better tomorrow than we are today."
"Our 2023 car is an evolution of the one we raced last year," added Enrico Cardile, Head of Chassis Area, "but in reality, it has been completely redesigned.
"On the aerodynamic side, we increased vertical downforce, to adapt further to the new aero regulations and achieve the desired balance characteristics. The suspension has also been redesigned, to support aerodynamics and increase the range of adjustments that can be made to the car at the track.
"The most obvious changes are in the area of the front suspension where we have moved to a low track rod. The front wing is also different, as is the construction of the nose, while the bodywork is a more extreme version of what we saw last season."
"Preparation work for the new season is usually one of the busiest times of the year and this winter was no exception," admitted Enrico Gualtieri, Head of Power Unit Area. "PUs have been frozen since last year, including fluids, oil and fuel and the only modifications allowed are those related to reliability, which was our Achilles Heel last season.
"We focused on the internal combustion engine and the electric motors. At the same time, we tried to capitalise on the experience gained on track last season and looked at all the feedback and signs of weakness from the PU components we used. We also revised our assembly procedures.
"We tried to understand the root causes of the problems we encountered on track and used all our available tools to try and solve them. It involved all areas, from design to experimentation to try and test new solutions in a very short space of time. The work never ends, based on continuous improvement of the components to try and reach the required level of reliability."
"Our whole team has put a lot of work into this new car and seeing it in front of us for the first time just feels amazing," beamed Leclerc. "It means that the start of the season is very close, which is always an exciting moment.
"It felt great to drive it here at Fiorano today, sharing the experience with our tifosi and partners. We still have to wait for the first real laps at testing to make any real assessments though.
"Our target for the season will be to do even better than last season, bring home more victories and be more consistent. The biggest goal will be to win both championships and we will do everything to achieve this."
"Having the chance to unveil the car in front of our tifosi has been great," added Sainz, "as this is my first launch event in front of an audience since I joined the Scuderia.
"I would like to thank everyone who has joined us on such a special day, both here and online around the world.
"This car is the result of the passion and hard work of everyone in the team during the past months and it certainly looks like another step forward.
"Our goal cannot be other than to keep pushing forward and trying to bring home more race wins, being competitive and fighting for the World Championships. I can't wait to hit the track in Bahrain and get this new season going!"
Check out our SF-23 gallery, here.