ALEX WURZ RAISES CONCERNS ABOUT FERRARI 'DRIVABILITY' AHEAD OF FORMULA 1 BARCELONA GRAND PRIX

The Ferrari SF-23 continues to pose challenges for its drivers, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, as they struggle to tame the difficult car. During the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, the team initially showed promise, with Sainz setting the early pace in practice. However, an overnight setup change before Saturday's session resulted in both drivers grappling with the car's configuration. Sainz crashed during FP3, while Leclerc missed out on a front-row start. Observing the high-speed Swimming Pool chicane, former F1 driver Alex Wurz identified the SF-23's problematic ride height as a major hurdle for the drivers. "I'm curious what Ferrari will do in Barcelona because I saw through the fast Swimming Pool chicane the car is actually a handful for the drivers," Wurz shared on the F1 Nation podcast. Describing the car's behaviour, Wurz explained, "It has quite a nasty rebound where it's just starting to bounce off, and then they really struggle. And we shouldn't forget Barcelona will be much more high speed. So that should be low ride height and in the extreme, progressive, hard end of the suspension." While Ferrari plans to introduce upgrades in Barcelona to address the car's aerodynamic challenges, Wurz expresses concerns about potentially compromising the car's drivability for Leclerc and Sainz. "Ironically, it was Ferrari who had the least issues in the beginning of last year with the purposing. So maybe on their development, they didn't feel it necessary to address purposing and bouncing," he noted. Wurz speculates that other teams have prioritized improving ride quality while Ferrari lagged behind, possibly leading to difficulties with the car's ride and purposing at the challenging Barcelona track. These issues could result in more mistakes and edgy driving styles from the Ferrari drivers. Moreover, Wurz reveals that Max Verstappen expressed genuine concern about Ferrari's pace after Friday practice in Monaco, believing they were faster. However, Ferrari failed to capitalize on their potential. "In Monaco on Friday, they were so fast. I walked next to Max Verstappen, and he said, 'We actually think they're faster than us.' They need to show that in Barcelona," Wurz added. As the Barcelona Grand Prix approaches this weekend, Ferrari faces an uphill battle to unlock their unused potential while ensuring better drivability for Leclerc and Sainz. The upgrades aimed at addressing aerodynamic issues will be put to the test, highlighting the team's determination to overcome the challenges posed by the SF-23.

2023-06-01T09:15:42Z dg43tfdfdgfd