New Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur says he wasn’t impressed by the “virtual” launches several of his team’s rivals arranged for the 2023 season.
Ferrari made a dramatic start to their new campaign by presenting their new SF-23 in front of an audience and immediately running it on their Fiorano test track.Vasseur, who only joined the team last month, said Ferrari’s presentation of the new car was an “emotional” occasion.
“We put so much effort – honestly not myself, I joined too late, my contribution is very small on this one – but I can perfectly feel the work done on the car and now it will be a new journey for the project because the car will move to the race team,” he said.
“It’s a great feeling, it’s like when you are back on track, it’s like when you’re back at school, and I can feel that everybody’s very proud of the job done. And this feeling is very important for the motivation of everybody and for the season.
“It will be a quite long season, but the motivation is there and it’s crucial in terms of performance.”
While some other teams have presented genuine 2023 cars, including McLaren and Aston Martin yesterday, others presented models in current liveries or issued renderings of their designs. Vasseur said he was proud of Ferrari’s launch event.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
“This is a good feeling,” he said. “The look of the launch of the other teams I think it was a bit virtual or online.
Charles Leclerc was the first of the team’s drivers to drive the new car, for two laps. A video produced by Ferrari showed Vasseur tossing a coin to determine who had the first run. Carlos Sainz Jnr than got three laps around Fiorano in the SF-23.
There will be just three days of official pre-season testing before the start of the new season. “Three days is a lot in one end and it’s nothing in the other,” said Vasseur. “Because you have two drivers, it’s one day-and-a-half each.
“They did some training but nothing can replace the real car and and the real session. They also will have the pressure of the results, it means that it will be a completely different game.
“But I’m sure that they will be ready. We will have to cover all the aspects of the car in three days but I think it will be okay.”
Sainz added his praise for the format of Ferrari’s launch. “I think we’ve nailed it, to be honest,” he said. “I don’t want to be obviously too optimistic but I think a launch like this is also a bit what’s missing in F1: Getting the fans involved, getting the media, getting the partners involved. It’s been a great day.”
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
2023 F1 season
- Leclerc turns the tables on Sainz at last race in another close fight at Ferrari
- F1 teams banned from working on 2026 car designs until end of next year
- Strong second half of Piastri’s debut season will put Norris on alert for 2024
- Russell can’t repeat points win over Hamilton but proves a close match again
- Mercedes lost confidence in “disorientating” 2022 setback – Allison
Witan
14th February 2023, 12:04
It is all very well being holier than the other teams about launches as long as you are not doing the same thing yourself, in which case you are a hypocrite.
The front wing on the new car is surely not legal as Mercedes found when they displayed similar studs and the FIA jumped on the wing. If so how much else on this car is only for the current show.
Asanator (@asanator)
14th February 2023, 16:15
@witan
The revised technical regs published in December removed the key sentence that laid down the requirement for such strakes to be ‘primarily’ for mechanical, structural or measurement reasons. They are now legal.
Witan
14th February 2023, 17:54
Thanks. I hadn’t caught up with that change. So Fred is not in the dock for hypocrisy.
SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
14th February 2023, 18:39
This is fan engagement. Other teams should watch and learn.
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
14th February 2023, 19:12
I think this is great and I admire Ferrari’s approach to their car launch. So much better than livery (marketing) launches.
bosyber (@bosyber)
15th February 2023, 6:34
Though having their own track surely made it easier @phil-f1-21 (Red Bull ring, hmm, yeah, but the real factory is in the UK).
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
15th February 2023, 8:30
Indeed. Of course it makes it easier to organise. I am sure Red Bull or others could have done a real car launch though if they chose to or used Silverstone maybe. That’s neutral territory, kind of.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
15th February 2023, 19:46
@phil-f1-21 Unless, as is commonly the case at Silverstone at this time of year, the track is unusable due to frost ;)
AlexS
14th February 2023, 19:26
Great for Ferrari and F1.
Watson
14th February 2023, 20:05
Ermm, didn’t his old team do a virtual launch, which he was in charge off and probably signed off on, or had some sort of input.
Hiland (@flyingferrarim)
14th February 2023, 20:42
The PR/Marketing departments are the ones that really drive these events/plans and I’m not sure if the team principle signs off on this stuff or if it’s more on the owners/boards. These events are more for the sponsors than anyone else. I would also be suprised if team principles have any sort of management control on the marketing departments as their focus is more in-line with all operations directly related to the cars. Marketing departments tend to be very separate to that of normal business operations and generally under the umbrella of the owners/boards.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
15th February 2023, 19:48
The old team didn’t have a reputation of excitement to maintain.
bull mello (@bullmello)
14th February 2023, 20:47
Bingo!
(to: Vasseur)
Mark in Florida
15th February 2023, 2:44
I like Fred more and more. So far he’s been a breath of fresh air for Ferrari. I agree 100% that teams should show a real car not an ai generated model or a mockup. The new car looks great! Also Ferraris WEC car looks fantastic as well. I’ll get to see it in person in a few weeks.