In a rather unique twist to the 2023 Canadian GP, veteran F1 pundit Martin Brundle found himself playing a game of hide and seek with Ferrari‘s pit crew. Amidst the roaring engines and the fast-paced drama of the grid, Ferrari’s mechanics orchestrated an unusual blockade, effectively preventing Brundle from getting a close look at Charles Leclerc‘s car.

Brundle, known for his pre-race grid walks and knack for exclusive content, was in the middle of a traditional race preamble. Among those he had already spoken to were celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay and Ferrari CEO Piero Ferrari. But the real drama unfolded when Brundle decided to inspect Charles Leclerc’s car, which was up on jacks.

As Brundle and his cameraman approached, they were met with a ring of Ferrari mechanics who appeared determined to shield the car from Brundle’s prying eyes. Undeterred by the unexpected obstruction, Brundle got down on his hands and knees, seeking a closer look. “The car’s up on the stands,” he reported during the Sky Sports F1 broadcast. “There’s sort of a ring of mechanics around so we can’t get too good a look at it. They’re taking part of the underfloor off, the plank as it’s known.”

Despite being blocked, Brundle maintained his professionalism, remarking, “It’s okay you don’t need to do that. I don’t know what we can learn from this. They want absolutely nobody to get any view of the work going on.” It is a norm to cover up the garage doors when the F1 teams open up the floor of the car. So one many wonder whether Ferrari did the right thing even if they were on the grid.

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Irrespective, Brundle is often in the midst of such small fiascos during his grid walks. Here he may just have wanted to have a closer look at the upgraded SF23. Ferrari certainly wants to make good progress with these upgrades. But are these upgrades promising enough to challenge Red Bull?

The Ferrari SF23: A Closer Look at an Upgraded Ride for Charles Leclerc

As the teams have introduced a flurry of new designs, many of the cars sport similar bodywork, especially from the front of the driver’s cell rearwards. However, Ferrari, Haas, and Mercedes have opted to take a different route.

Ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix practice sessions, Ferrari unveiled an updated version of its F1 car, featuring significantly revamped side pods, a new rear wing, and a modified floor. The redesigned side pods move away from Ferrari’s signature high-walled, concave design, opting instead for a ‘downwashing’ style, akin to techniques used by leading teams like Red Bull and Aston Martin. Mercedes too, has recently adopted a similar sidepod concept.

However, Ferrari asserts that these visual modifications are not the root cause of its car’s performance issues. The goal of these upgrades is to create a more reliable car, helping Ferrari understand why it excels in qualifying but struggles in races. Despite ranking as the second-fastest team on average, the Scuderia has only secured one podium finish this season and stands fourth in the championship.

As the season unfolds, the question remains: will Ferrari’s unique bodywork and secretive operations yield the results they desire? Or will they have to rethink their strategies and open up their operations to the ever-curious eyes of pundits like Martin Brundle? Only time will tell.

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