The Tifosi were left disappointed after their beloved team, Ferrari, came out empty-handed after the Australian Grand Prix last weekend. Although there are still 20 races to go, they must act fast to save their 2023 Formula 1 campaign.
Ferrari’s collapse in Albert Park opened an opportunity for the likes of Mercedes and Aston Martin to gain more ground in the constructors’ standings. However, Red Bull remain ahead of the pack, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down – literally.
Up next is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, which will take place on the Baku City Circuit on April 30th. So, in this short hiatus, all teams will use this time to reflect on what they’ve done so far and see which areas they can improve in.
In the meantime, continue to read below as SBOTOP shares its main takeaways from the first three races of the season.
Ferrari’s horrific start
A quick look at the Formula 1 2023 results will tell you that Ferrari are under immense pressure right now.
In the first three races in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Australia, Charles Leclerc had two DNFs and a P7, while Carlos Sainz Jr. had a P4, a P6, and was out of the points last weekend.
Carlos Sainz Jr., in particular, was a despondent figure after the Australian Grand Prix, which sums up their season so far. The Spaniard had been running as high as fourth in Albert Park but ultimately fell to 12th after the chequered flag.
During the second restart after yet another red flag, his car made contact with Fernando Alonso’s, and the stewards decided that it was the Ferrari driver who was at fault. Sainz Jr. left Albert Park upset after realising that the unfortunate incident had resulted in a five-second penalty.
In the same race, Leclerc, meanwhile, had another DNF when his car collided with Lance Stroll’s during Lap 1. With two retirements in the first three races, Leclerc only has six points and is having the worst start to a season since his rookie campaign with Sauber in 2018.
Despite all of this, Fred Vasseur remains optimistic, saying that they’re moving in the right direction.
“There are positives. If you look at the whole weekend, we were disappointed with the result, but the level of performance was there, we just didn’t put everything together,” said Vasseur.
After three races last year, Ferrari stood at the top of the constructors’ standings with 104 points, but now they’re in fourth with only 26 points.
Mercedes determined to challenge Red Bull
Lewis Hamilton is fourth in the drivers’ standings with 38 points, while George Russell is in seventh with 18. In the constructors’ championship, the Silver Arrows are only behind Red Bull and Aston Martin with 56 points.
After back-to-back P5 finishes in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Hamilton claimed his first podium in a while when he finished second in the Australian Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion is the first driver in Formula 1 history to record at least one podium in 17 consecutive seasons.
But his teammate, George Russell, cut a frustrated figure in Albert Park when he retired due to an engine failure. It was his first DNF since the 2022 British Grand Prix, but since then, he has recorded four podium finishes and a race victory.
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff is pleased with the team’s progress so far, but he admits that they’re still miles away from their rivals, Red Bull.
“Red Bull have a straight-line speed advantage with the DRS open that is just mind-boggling. It is up to us to sort this out and find tools in order to have that same performance,” said Wolff.
Is Aston Martin’s dream start sustainable?
Aston Martin continue to punch above their weight with three podiums from the first three races this season, but they’re insisting that this is not a fluke.
Fernando Alonso has finished P3 in all three races, while teammate Lance Stroll was in P6 and P4 in Bahrain and Australia, respectively, and he retired in Saudi Arabia.
That leaves the Silverstone outfit second in the constructors’ championship, as they’re nine points clear of Mercedes and 39 ahead of Ferrari.
There’s more reason to be excited if you’re an Aston Martin supporter because they’ve done this despite the fact that they’ve yet to bring in any significant upgrades to their car.
While Red Bull look like the runaway leaders yet again, the Formula 1 2023 odds predict that second place is up for grabs between Aston Martin and Mercedes.
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