Let’s observe a Ferrari that is complicating its liferace after race and day after day. After the water-induced intoxication of the port of Monte Carlo, a beautiful celebration that followed Charles Leclerc’s liberating success more than a month ago, for one reason or another there has always been something to slow down, or rather break, the expected progression of the Reds.
Montreal, Montmelò and Red Bull Ringcircuits very different from each other in terms of technical characteristics, have highlighted in the Ferrari ranks something that resembles a technical disorientation. Only yesterday after the Sprint, in which he finished seventh after a comeback from tenth place, Leclerc had said: «Let’s change something, let’s try a different set-up for the afternoon, it can’t go worse than seventh-eighth position anyway. Maybe we’ll get it right and then we’ll finish fourth or fifth, even if that shouldn’t be the goal.” And Ferrari got it right: fourth therefore, but with Carlos Sainz. And fourth among the four top teams given that a Red Bull (obviously Verstappen), a McLaren (Norris) and a Mercedes (Russell) start ahead of her.
Ferrari, Leclerc’s disappointment
Leclerc starts sixth but it was another bitter day for him where, after themistake in the pit lane which on Friday had killed his engine (passed off as an anti-stall failure) causing him to miss Q3 for the Sprint, yesterday he made a mistake on the decisive lap, ending up on a curb and gravel. It was said to be a desperate attempt, and it’s also quite true, but throughout the weekend Sainz was more at ease: yesterday fifth in the Sprint, first in Q1, second in Q2, fourth when the tough guys started playing. However, both are struggling with brake management problems.
To fight in the house of Red Bull
It’s a big problem, while McLaren is in full bloom despite some stumbles – you can read about them separately – Mercedes is now there fighting with Ferrari and Verstappen is Verstappenperfect in its bubble, unshakeable even in front of the lite continues of the two men who are a point of reference for him today: father Jos and team leader Christian Horner that all sorts of things are said. Max’s words: «Obviously I wouldn’t want them to argue. I have a good relationship with everyone, but this situation could have been avoided.”. And then off we go, looking ahead, thinking about perfection, about another twenty-six points up for grabs. Max was impressive on the track too. Between Q1 and Q2, switching from used Pirelli softs to new ones, he took off a full second on a lap lasting a minute or so. Half a second ahead of everyone else. Then he went even faster in Q3, on his first and second attempts, the only one to even go below his stratospheric pole of 2023. And that’s seven poles in a row at the Red Bull Ring between GP and Sprint, since the 2021 Styrian GP in the Covid era. Four tenths ahead of Norris, half a second ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari. How do you stop someone like that?
The Verstappen-Norris duel
Yesterday in the Sprint Lando Norris tried, but Oscar Piastri received the dividends from that attempt. In short, it’s a good, hard-fought World Cup, albeit the recurring duel is Verstappen-Norris – who today still start together in the front row – and not Verstappen-Leclerc, as the start of the season had led us to believe. «It’s a very difficult weekend – Sainz commented – but we have been struggling for three races. We seem to be definitely behind Red Bull and McLaren, while we are fighting with Mercedes in the race, in the Sprints and in qualifying, but maybe I am slightly ahead of them». According to Carlos, the return of bouncing could be linked to the package of innovations introduced in Barcelona. We have to get out of this somehow and once today’s race is over we will set off towards Silverstone, for the Reds a wrong circuit at the wrong time.
