When Ferrari bravely launched its SF-23 challenger with a live installation run at Fiorano, the team declared its optimism over being able to fight for both world championships this year. That further fuelled the expectations of the ever-demanding tifosi.
Much like the Real Madrids and FC Barcelonas of this world, failure is not an option for the Italian giant. But Ferrari’s passionate fans were in for a rude awakening at the opening round in Bahrain when that optimism proved misplaced. Rather than fighting for titles, Ferrari ended up narrowly losing out to Mercedes for second place after a rollercoaster 2023 season for both squads.
Like everyone else, Ferrari turned up with a car that was no match for the all-conquering Red Bull RB19. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz qualified on the second row for the Bahrain opener, a respectable three behind winner Verstappen, after being passed and left for dead by Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin as the hot and twisty Sakhir circuit exposed Ferrari’s weakness. The drivers found themselves churning through the tyres in a bid to keep up with the Red Bulls.
