How Ferrari’s successful Safety Car “gamble” was prompted by their drivers

Ferrari’s decision not to pit during the Safety Car period early in the Canadian Grand Prix had the potential to be another strategic mis-step by the team.

But it paid off, helping Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jnr climb six places each from their midfield starting positions and finish just outside the podium places.

Not coming into the pits when the Safety Car was deployed meant passing up the opportunity to fit tyres with minimal time loss. Team principal Frederic Vasseur admitted that wasn’t an easy call for them to make.

“You always have some hesitation,” he said. “But what was quite obvious for us is that the both of them told us that the pace was probably much better for them than when they were stuck in the traffic.”

While Leclerc gained one place from Alexander Albon on the first lap, Sainz maintained his place, and neither driver was able to make an impression on the car ahead over the next 10 laps. Instead of joining the rush for the pits, Ferrari stayed out, and their drivers picked up places from the McLaren pair, Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon.

“The potential was there,” said Vasseur. “They said ‘just give us some clean air’ and the best way to do it was to not pit.”

However he acknowledged the decision not to pit could have hurt them. “For sure it was kind of a gamble because then if you have another Safety Car 15 laps later it’s a bit more difficult. But it was also for us the best way to recover.”

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As most of the drivers started on the medium tyre compound, those who came in under the Safety Car largely switched to the hard rubber, and found it did not perform well. Ferrari’s mediums held up well and they looked capable of running even longer than they did.

But when Sergio Perez behind them pitted the Scuderia had no option but to react in order to preserve their track position. This was managed well: Sainz was brought in first, despite it giving him the advantage of fresher rubber before Leclerc ahead of him, who came in the next time around and maintained his position.

Perez, on the same compound as his team mate albeit five laps older, lapped up to a second off Max Verstappen at this point and dropped back from the Ferraris. However, with Alexander Albon behind him holding up a train of other cars, enough of a gap opened up behind Perez for him to pit for soft tyres for a last-gasp bid for the bonus point for fastest lap, which was successful.

So while the first three cars home three-stopped, the next four one-stopped (to all intents and purposes as far as Perez is concerned). The last of these was Albon, who found his car a handful on 58-lap-old hard tyres by the final lap, but held on to claim a result which lifts Williams out of last place in the constructors’ championship.

The Ferraris were the first cars home to make a one-stop strategy work and the only cars in the field to do it after starting on the medium tyre compound. For a team which has had some criticism for its pit wall operation in recent races, and just the day before had seemingly failed to pay heed to Leclerc urging them to fit slicks during qualifying, this was an excellent example of them taking their drivers’ feedback on board and making a tactical call which paid off.

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2023 Canadian Grand Prix lap chart

The positions of each driver on every lap. Click name to highlight, right-click to reset. Toggle drivers using controls below:

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2023 Canadian Grand Prix race chart

The gaps between each driver on every lap compared to the leader’s average lap time. Very large gaps omitted. Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and right-click to reset. Toggle drivers using controls below:

2023 Canadian Grand Prix lap times

All the lap times by the drivers (in seconds, very slow laps excluded). Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and toggle drivers using the control below:

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2023 Canadian Grand Prix fastest laps

Each driver’s fastest lap:

Rank	No.	Driver	Car	Lap time	Gap	Average speed (kph)	Lap no.
1	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull-Honda RBPT	1’14.481		210.79	70
2	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1’15.396	0.915	208.23	47
3	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull-Honda RBPT	1’15.594	1.113	207.68	68
4	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin-Mercedes	1’15.779	1.298	207.18	62
5	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1’15.907	1.426	206.83	47
6	55	Carlos Sainz Jnr	Ferrari	1’15.911	1.430	206.82	47
7	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas-Ferrari	1’16.126	1.645	206.23	55
8	4	Lando Norris	McLaren-Mercedes	1’16.374	1.893	205.56	65
9	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine-Renault	1’16.425	1.944	205.42	67
10	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin-Mercedes	1’16.564	2.083	205.05	58
11	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren-Mercedes	1’16.598	2.117	204.96	59
12	77	Valtteri Bottas	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari	1’16.625	2.144	204.89	52
13	21	Nyck de Vries	AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT	1’16.656	2.175	204.81	52
14	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT	1’16.666	2.185	204.78	68
15	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine-Renault	1’16.782	2.301	204.47	63
16	23	Alexander Albon	Williams-Mercedes	1’16.917	2.436	204.11	68
17	24	Zhou Guanyu	Alfa Romeo-Ferrari	1’17.090	2.609	203.65	58
18	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1’17.097	2.616	203.63	44
19	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Haas-Ferrari	1’17.232	2.751	203.28	37
20	2	Logan Sargeant	Williams-Mercedes	1’18.437	3.956	200.16	4

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2023 Canadian Grand Prix tyre strategies

The tyre strategies for each driver:

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2023 Canadian Grand Prix pit stop times

How long each driver’s pit stops took:

Rank	No.	Driver	Team	Complete stop time (s)	Gap to best (s)	Stop no.	Lap no.
1	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull	23.218		2	68
2	11	Sergio Perez	Red Bull	23.281	0.063	1	37
3	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	23.436	0.218	2	37
4	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	23.57	0.352	2	35
5	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	23.644	0.426	1	12
6	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	23.646	0.428	1	1
7	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	23.698	0.48	2	36
8	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	23.711	0.493	1	11
9	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	23.749	0.531	2	40
10	21	Nyck de Vries	AlphaTauri	23.786	0.568	2	50
11	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	23.839	0.621	2	27
12	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	23.91	0.692	2	42
13	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	23.928	0.71	2	41
14	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	24.031	0.813	1	12
15	77	Valtteri Bottas	Alfa Romeo	24.038	0.82	1	36
16	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	24.117	0.899	2	33
17	55	Carlos Sainz Jnr	Ferrari	24.133	0.915	1	38
18	24	Zhou Guanyu	Alfa Romeo	24.161	0.943	1	12
19	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Haas	24.2	0.982	2	31
20	44	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	24.339	1.121	1	12
21	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	24.343	1.125	1	39
22	31	Esteban Ocon	Alpine	24.402	1.184	1	12
23	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	24.515	1.297	2	53
24	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	24.828	1.61	1	12
25	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Haas	24.88	1.662	1	11
26	20	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	24.909	1.691	1	35
27	21	Nyck de Vries	AlphaTauri	24.96	1.742	1	11
28	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	25.064	1.846	1	12
29	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	25.862	2.644	1	12
30	24	Zhou Guanyu	Alfa Romeo	27.509	4.291	2	32
31	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	27.515	4.297	1	10
32	22	Yuki Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	27.523	4.305	2	34

2023 Canadian Grand Prix

• Norris ‘even more’ sure Canada penalty was wrong after review request fails
• McLaren seeking more than just downforce gains from major upgrade
• Winning more races won’t necessarily lead to F1 seat – Palou
• Red Bull’s testing restriction will “massively affect” 2024 car development
• Schumacher’s set-up input gives Mercedes a “super advantage” – Wolff

Browse all 2023 Canadian Grand Prix articles