Machine born well but developed less effectively than those of its opponents? Drivers who think more about the internal ranking in the red box than about the general picture, especially in a season in which the objective is the Constructors’ World Championship? The impression is that Ferrari is falling back into old evils. The Canadian problems and an indigestible track were enough to rekindle the never-extinguished ashes of an unprofitable rivalry and to make Charles Leclerc lose focus. We knew that Carlos Sainz would become a problem from the beginning of the year, from the announcement of Lewis Hamilton’s hiring. And everything is complicated by a market hanging on Max Verstappen’s future (Mercedes is chasing him and still waiting) which has relegated the Spaniard to second and even third choices (an Alpine offer has arrived, but the Mercedes-powered Williams remains the favourite). Just as it was clear that the Monegasque was expected to make a leap in quality as a complete driver, capable of managing everything and everyone, starting from the arrival of the F1 Totem. This doesn’t seem to be the case. And to think that the triumph in Monte Carlo was seen by everyone as a turning point.
Ferrari problems and the Leclerc-Sainz ‘rivalry’
Perhaps it takes time, perhaps Barcelona will be a valuable lesson as it was for Lando Norris towards Verstappen, but in the cold, passing through Maranello on the way to Austria, home to a Sprint on Saturday and the 11th GP of the season, Fred Vasseur’s words already on Sunday are even more significant, when he minimized the fratricidal contact and invited everyone to focus on improving the weak points. The qualification, first and foremost. The team principal tries to keep the team focused and motivated, without panicking or following the tensions between Leclerc and Sainz. On the other hand, the data says that Charles spoke hotly and with little clarity. The one needed by a champion, by those who want to win the title. The one that Hamilton and Verstappen have. In Barcelona in the last 42 of 66 laps Leclerc almost kept the pace of the Dutchman who had to defend himself from the return of Norris: 3 seconds paid against 19 in the first 24 laps. A sign that Ferrari is unable to turn on the tires in the first part of the stints and that developments have not resolved the issue.
“I have never had second thoughts”: Hamilton’s words
«Bringing something new to the car does not naturally translate into a step forward, just as not having updates does not mean taking a step backwards – Vasseur’s defense for his engineering team -. And we must consider that everyone is improving, that everyone brings new things. And that sometimes it takes two or three races to extract the most from the package. Maybe we will make better use of the car already in Austria.”
A long-awaited test to understand many things about Ferrari. Even if one (but already before these races) is clear: Maranello needs a phenomenal driver, also to see if Leclerc can become one. AND the Hamilton seen in the last two matches, especially in Spain (where his young and fast teammate George Russell lost time and the podium in a useless fight with Norris), it removes any doubt that he is whole and hungry. And then he already speaks like a captain. From those who can cure the old red evils, where Alonso and Vettel failed. «I don’t know what happened to the Ferraris in the last two races, but they are progressing anyway – Lewis wanted to make it clear -. In Barcelona they also brought an update package, I don’t know why they had a dull weekend. But no, I have never had second thoughts about my choice to leave Mercedes for Ferrari and I certainly don’t have them now.”. Words that Maranello needed.
