Things are looking slightly better for Ferrari after a positive weekend in Azerbaijan which saw the team return to their 2022 form, but that means they are still behind the Red Bulls. However, there are quite a few upgrades coming from the Scuderia that will hopefully close the gap.

Upgrades don’t always have the desired effect and the Sprint format is causing them to be staggered in their introduction. 

“We will start to bring upgrades from Miami and for the next couple of events and the car will react to the update,” Vassuer told the media, “but it’s true that with this kind of format it’s difficult to introduce updates and to develop the car, but it’s the same for everybody.” 

He continued, “But it’s true that we will have to consider this approach for the next couple of events. You will have Imola with the Sprint race twice, then Monaco is not the best place to develop the car. But this format is pushing the teams to bring small updates rather than a full package.” 

Ferrari have explained their development plan which will begin some time between Imola and Barcelona, but in Miami we will see a preview focused primarily on the wings. At the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the team is expected to introduce a revised version of the rear suspension and a new floor.

The rear suspension and floor upgrades hope to allow for a better management of variations in the SF-23’s ride heights, allowing the team to have greater control with extreme car setups, something the team often experiments with during Friday’s practice sessions. Ideally, this will result in an improved lower aerodynamic efficiency that will lead to an increase in the downforce load generated by the floor.

In Miami, it is expected that Ferrari will introduce an evolution of their front wing while in Barcelona we may see new sidepods that borrow concepts from Red Bull’s RB19.

The cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix saw a very early four week break for the grid and it proved a blessing in disguise for Ferrari. During this time, Ferrari implemented a dense work programme focused on their development plans. 

Whether or not this will close the gap remains to be seen, but perhaps Red Bull’s penalty for breaching the cost cap will hamper their development progress throughout 2023, allowing the rest of the grid to catch up.