Carlos Sainz has denied that strategy was an “Achilles heel” for Ferrari in the 2023 Formula 1 season, citing that tyre degradation is its biggest area for improvement.
Having begun the current regulation cycle with the fastest car in the field at the start of 2022, Ferrari dropped one place to third in the Constructors’ standings last campaign.
Although a late-season resurgence enabled the Italian marque to capitalise on Red Bull’s struggles in Singapore to avoid a third winless year in five, Ferrari ended up three points shy of pipping Mercedes to second.
Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur lamented a plethora of reliability issues before stressing the need for the squad to become “more opportunistic” in the future.
While criticism has often been levied at Ferrari’s proneness to strategy errors, Sainz is convinced that the team made a step forward on the operational side last season.
“I really don’t think we have lost so many points with the strategy this year,” he told Motorsport-Total. “We didn’t get it right in some races, but it wasn’t our Achilles heel.
“Throughout the 22 races, Mercedes and Red Bull also made strategic mistakes. If we have made more mistakes, then perhaps there is still something to optimize. But it is far from being our biggest problem.”
Ferrari was able to accumulate seven pole positions across the season but only converted one of those into a win amid the dominance of Red Bull’s RB19 in race trim.
The Maranello-based camp repeatedly struggled with tyre management and Sainz has highlighted how that continued to limit the team’s prospects on the strategy front.
“If your car is not as fast on Sunday and is also pushing the tyres more than your rivals, then it is more difficult to get the strategy right,” the Spaniard explained.
“With greater tyre wear, you always run the risk of being attacked with an undercut, and you practically cannot attempt an overcut yourself.
“That gives you very little room for manoeuvre strategically.”
