The challenge of the first races will be, for the Scuderia, to confirm the end of the problems of reliability and strategy which plagued it last year.

For the Silver Arrows, it will above all be a question of turning the page on a 2022 vintage plagued by performance problems linked to new regulations.

Ferrari, the way to the coronation finally found?

Returning to the spotlight in 2022 after two white seasons, the Scuderia appeared as Red Bull's main rival last season.

But faced with reliability issues - notably of its engine - coupled with failed strategies, Ferrari stumbled and soon found itself outpaced by Red Bull.

Faced with its disappointments, the team announced at the end of 2022 a change of face by appointing the Frenchman Frédéric Vasseur as the new boss of the team, replacing Mattia Binotto, pushed to the exit after three seasons as director.

On a technical level, the Scuderia took advantage of the off-season to restore its engine, expected to be more reliable - and above all more competitive than in 2022.

Photo distributed by the Scuderia Ferrari press office showing Frédéric Vasseur, the new boss of the Italian team, on January 25, 2023 in Maranello © Handout / Scuderia Ferrari press office/AFP/Archives

As for the thorny question of its strategic choices, the Maranello team announced at the end of February a major change in its ranks since the Spaniard Inaki Rueda, responsible for strategy, gave way to the Indian Ravin Jain.

Will these changes be enough to finally see the Scuderia shine for a long time?

According to the first data from the tests, Ferrari has approached Red Bull.

But the consumption of his tires in the race - more important than the competition - could still handicap him.

For now, "we have a car with less drag, so it should be better this year," said Monegasque Charles Leclerc.

And to continue: "it has therefore changed other characteristics - in line with what we expected - but we still have to find the right settings" before the Bahrain GP.

Enough to thwart Red Bull's plans?

"We are clearly still getting to know the car," Vasseur swept away last week, "so it's too early to say anything."

Charles Leclerc, the Monegasque driver of the Ferrari team, on February 24, 2023 on the Sakhir circuit, in Bahrain © Giuseppe CACACE / AFP

In the meantime, the tifosi are getting impatient since the most successful team in the history of F1 has not won a title since 2007 among the drivers (Kimi Räikkönen) and since 2008 among the constructors.

- Mercedes wants to turn the page on 2022 -

After "having crashed" last year in the face of new technical regulations imposed on the teams, Mercedes wants to return to the top of the bill, worn by George Russell, behind the team's only victory last season. (in Brazil), and Lewis Hamilton.

Only third force on the board last season after years of domination, doubts are not yet completely lifted for the German manufacturer at the dawn of the recovery.

If the porpoising, linked to the new rules of 2022 and which makes the single-seaters bounce, now seems to be a bad memory, "it is clear that we still have work to do on the rhythm of the car", acknowledged the director of engineering. of the team, Andrew Shovlin.

During tryouts, the Silver Arrows had their ups and downs and, Hamilton notes, the team "isn't quite where [it wants] to be."

"We have to work on some things, it's not perfect yet and we are not yet able to match the Red Bulls, or the Ferraris, currently," admitted the Briton.

Mercedes driver George Russell during a press conference on the sidelines of practice sessions at the Sakhir circuit in Bahrain on February 24, 2023 © Giuseppe CACACE / AFP

If Mercedes manages to regain the top of the hierarchy this season, Hamilton could sign a record eighth world title: "so we have to provide a good car for a driver who has the ambition to win races and championships - and we have that", assured his boss Toto Wolff.

© 2023 AFP