Ferrari has opted for a traditional approach with the name of its 2023 F1 challenger.
A week ahead of a Valentine’s Day launch, and just a few days after firing up the power unit for the first time ahead of the coming campaign, the Scuderia has confirmed its car’s designation as SF-23.
It is hardly revelatory, bearing in mind the SF is for Scuderia Ferrari and the 23 represents this year.
In recent times, however, the team has not always been so obvious in naming its car.
In 2017 and 2018, the SF70H and SF71H respectively celebrated the years since the Ferrari company was founded, whilst in 2019, the SF90 reflected the years since the Scuderia was established.
For 2020, the car bore the name SF1000 as Ferrari celebrated its 1000th grand prix appearance that season, and then last year, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz drove the SF-75, again recognising the years since its foundation.
Ferrari will be expecting a more robust challenge from the SF-23 given its SF-75 suffered a number of reliability issues over the course of last season.
That, along with numerous strategic errors, undermined its challenge in the constructors’ championship as it finished 205 points adrift of Red Bull.
Leclerc was also severely hampered in his quest for the drivers’ title as he retired in the Spanish Grand Prix with a turbo failure and again a few weeks later in Azerbaijan with a power unit issue.
The SF-23 is expected to undergo a shakedown – running for no more than 100 kilometres – ahead of its full debut at the sole pre-season test in Bahrain from February 23-25.
The opening grand prix will also be run at the Bahrain International Circuit from March 3-5.
ONE WEEK to go and our 2023 challenger finally has its name 🤩
Introducing… ✨ SF-23 ✨
— Scuderia Ferrari HP (@ScuderiaFerrari) February 7, 2023
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