F1: Ferrari unveil car for the new season

• Ferrari unveiled their new car, SF-23, for the new 2023 season during a launch ceremony at the Maranello factory
• It’s just over a week until pre-season F1 testing begins in Bahrain
• The team will complete 100 kilometres of track time, split between Leclerc and Sainz

The SF-23, Ferrari’s new 2023 challenger, was unveiled during a launch ceremony at the Maranello factory.

Following the announcements of McLaren and Aston Martin’s 2023 Formula One car on Monday, the launch season continued on Tuesday.

With just over a week until pre-season F1 testing begins in Bahrain, Ferrari held a launch event from their Maranello base where they revealed the car they intend to compete for the 2023 Formula 1 title, which was also streamed online.

How they launched

Ferrari unveiled new car.|PHOTO: Sky Sports|

The launch took the form of a ‘mini-concert’, beginning with a violin-led rendition of the Italian National Anthem, and inviting a crowd of Tifosi to Ferrari’s test track at Fiorano, where the presenters introduced Sainz and Leclerc to a jubilant audience.

After a brief discussion of their winter vacations, long-time Ferrari tester Marc Gene welcomed new team boss Fred Vasseur to the team before teasing the audience with audio of the new Ferrari engine firing up.

Finally, the SF-23 was revealed, with a video showcasing the new vehicle. The SF-23 hit the track at Fiorano immediately after the launch, with Charles Leclerc leading the first laps as Ferrari took advantage of the first of two permitted filming days for the season.

Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, and new team boss Frederic Vasseur were all in attendance to unveil the new SF-23 – an evolved version of last year’s extremely competitive F1-75.

Ferrari hopes to improve on their second-place finish in the championship last year, which came after two years of wallowing in the midfield.

F1’s most successful and iconic team hasn’t won a championship since 2007, and failure to win the constructors’ or drivers’ titles this year would be their longest drought ever.

“Our Valentine”

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were present at the event.|PHOTO: Sky Sports|

“Our Valentine is our new car,” Leclerc said as a red and black car was revealed, the latter colour being a common theme this launch season with teams looking to save time.

While falling far short of title winner Max Verstappen, Leclerc demonstrated his front-running credentials last year and successfully led the Ferrari team, while teammate Sainz also won his first race.

This year, the pair is expected to be more evenly matched.

There is also optimism about the new management structure, with Vasseur, a former Alfa Romeo executive, taking over for Mattia Binotto.

Although the team was consistently lacking operationally, with several high-profile strategy errors last year, Binotto, a long-term Ferrari employee, helped bring the team back into contention with his technical nous.

Marc Gene said of the SF-23: “The front suspension is different, the aerodynamics have been redefined, an evolution.”

There’s also a new cooling layout with revised slots.

Leclerc was the first to take a lap in the new car, having won his pre-session battle with Carlos Sainz.

The deal was that the loser got one extra lap, so Leclerc got the first laps, but Sainz got three.

The team will complete 100 kilometres of track time, split between Leclerc and Sainz, with the Spaniard getting his chance later in the day on Tuesday.