Leclerc: Ferrari upgrades likely 'not enough' to fight Red Bull

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Charles Leclerc says Ferrari's upcoming upgrades should benefit the team's SF-23 but it's unlikely the gains they will produce will allow the Scuderia's drivers to take the fight to Red Bull.

In Azerbaijan last weekend, Ferrari team boss Frédéric Vasseur said Miami would mark the beginning of an upgrade cycle for the Italian outfit, with small updates delivered over the next three races, starting with changes to the SF-23's front wing in Miami.

In Baku, Leclerc took pole position for both the Sprint event and for Sunday's Grand Prix but was helpless in his attempts to fend off his mighty Red Bull rivals in either race.

The Monegasque says Ferrari's latest developments should help the team chip away at Red Bull's comfortable lead.

"[It] should go in the right direction," he said. "I don’t think it will be enough to fight with them but yeah, it will go in the right direction, I’m sure."

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Vasseur: Miami GP to kick off Ferrari SF-23 upgrade effort

Leclerc's productive weekend in Baku was a welcomed turnaround for both team and driver after the Monegasque's dismal start to his 2023 campaign.

A drama-free three days allowed Leclerc to showcase the true potential of the Scuderia's SF-23, at least in qualifying as the car's pace in race trim still needs to improve.

"Yeah, it was good. After the first three races it was really bad," he said.

"We obviously were very unlucky in Bahrain, being in third and having that technical issue already a penalty for the second race.

"And then the DNF with the incident with Lance in Australia, so it couldn’t be worse.

"But in Azerbaijan, it went really well. We had our first pole which is great.

"I think it confirms how strong a car we have, especially in qualifying but then in the race we confirmed a little bit our weaknesses that we still need to work on our race pace as the Red Bull is just too strong for now."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.