TURIN – Ferrari started the season with a clear gap against Red Bull, but it also paid for a weakness in terms of reliability (as clearly seen in Baharin). In Jeddah, surprise: super Red Bull owes change ECU, battery and gearbox on Sergio Perez’s car and, before qualifying, also the change on Max Verstappen’s. Then, in qualifying, the world champion’s car broke down for transmission problem, probably a drive shaft. This certainly doesn’t mean that a common misfortune is half a joy, but it serves to reduce the alarm surrounding Ferrari a bit, even if to bring serenity – after last week’s barrage of rumors – a prestigious result would be needed.
A step forward
Qualifying on the Saudi track demonstrates (as one imagined) that Red Bull stays on another planet (but it risks something from the point of view of reliability), but also that Ferrari is growing, despite the glittering vein of Aston Martin and signs of recovery from Mercedes. The “verdona” is certainly not a meteor (the performance of Lance Stroll confirms it, even before the sharp one of Fernando Alonso); Mercedes puts its great desire to impose a change on a season that has started very badly. But this Ferrari it can definitely be the second force. What then this position satisfies the fans, the men of the Cavallino and the corporate property, that’s another matter. But at the moment it is already something, after the burning disappointment of Sakhir.
