Mario Andretti hopes Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz can take Ferrari "to an even higher step" in 2023

Less than one week after the presentation of the SF-23 car, Scuderia Ferrari’s challengers for the 2023 Formula 1 championship, there are still a lot of positive impressions coming from the fans, the media and also former Ferrari men for the way in which the Italian side decided to reveal its new car and also in terms of prospects for the upcoming season.

Mario Andretti was interviewed by the Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport to share his thoughts on the official presentation of the SF-23 challenger and the Maranello team’s prospects for the next championship, as Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz hope to be able to get involved in the battle for the titles, behind the wheel of a car that many have defined as “an ‘extreme evolution’ of the 2022 Ferrari Formula 1 single-seater, the F1-75, hopefully without the power unit technical failures that meant the Italian side lost many important points last season.

La Gazzetta dello Sport asked Mario Andretti for an opinion ahead of the 2023 Formula 1 season. Let’s find out what the Italian-American said.

Mario Andretti’s comments on the Ferrari SF-23:

“This is how things should be done”, Mario Andretti began his interview with the Italian media. Then he added: “I wasn’t there and I saw a few photos on Twitter. To really understand how the SF-23 is made I need more information on the key details. But certainly in Maranello they worked a lot to keep themselves at the top and start the new season like they did in 2022. Maybe this time with a different ending.” – said the Italian-born American former racing driver, who remains one of the most successful drivers in the history of motorsports. Mario Andretti is in fact one of only three drivers to have won races in Formula One, IndyCar, the World Sportscar Championship, and NASCAR.

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The former Scuderia Ferrari driver, who spent the 1971-1972-1982 years in Maranello, still keeps Ferrari in a special place in his heart and admitted he was hopeful that the Italian side could soon return to the top of the series. “I always hope so, I will always be a Ferrari fan” – he continued.

Then one final consideration on Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, ahead of the start of the 2023 Formula 1 campaign: “It seems to me that they get along well, they are two good guys who do their job and they do everything possible to take the team to an even higher step. I see something very beautiful there. So let’s hope for the best!” – former Scuderia Ferrari driver Mario Andretti concluded.