Speaking about Ferrari shouldn’t be straightforward as of late. The Prancing Horse workforce has taken a transparent step backwards in comparison with the 2024 Formulation 1 season, and maybe that is the purpose that’s placing your entire Maranello surroundings into disaster. The issue shouldn’t be about disappointing expectations, nor about not having the ability to battle for the title. The crucial difficulty lies in witnessing a regression in comparison with final yr.
Let’s be clear. The regression we imply should be understood by way of power relative to rivals. All groups, together with Ferrari, have produced a automobile that performs higher than the one seen in Abu Dhabi, however this growth course of has yielded fewer outcomes in comparison with McLaren, clearly, but additionally in comparison with Mercedes and Purple Bull.
On the finish of final season, it was virtually all the time simply the papaya workforce and the Italian workforce preventing for victories, whereas now, even when not on the early-2024 ranges, Max Verstappen is as soon as once more persistently preventing on the entrance (solely the second driver at Milton Keynes is struggling), and Mercedes usually finishes on the rostrum and is now Ferrari’s primary rival. The dramatic side might exactly be this: a thought that creeps into the thoughts worse than a woodworm — how can a workforce transfer from being the fourth drive to second, whereas the workforce that fought for the world championship till the final nook is now thus far behind? Certain, the disqualifications in China weigh on the standings, however the issue stays.
There’s a lot, an excessive amount of confusion at Ferrari. Earlier than updates, a way is required
We made a protracted introduction, however it’s mandatory to grasp Ferrari’s inside psychology. There may be numerous confusion. Generally the vehicles are aggressive on Friday, then they aren’t on Saturday and Sunday. Different instances, they aren’t quick on Friday, unimpressive on Saturday, after which sturdy on Sunday, as occurred with Leclerc in Jeddah. In some instances, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton appear to carry out equally; at different instances, their competitiveness ranges differ an excessive amount of, and Saudi Arabia, once more, clearly confirmed this. And worryingly, no clear and exact clarification is supplied.
There may be dysfunction, numerous dysfunction. On this context, what’s the level of bringing updates? From the skin, it appears like trial and error. In Jeddah, developments in regards to the flooring, diffuser, and rear wing arrived. Had been there any actual steps ahead? Sadly not. Fortunately, Norris began from tenth and Leclerc managed to complete on the rostrum, but when Lando Norris had had a traditional race, even contemplating Charles’s wonderful efficiency, it will have been very troublesome to attain the identical outcome.
Beating Mercedes is already a superb factor, however you can not battle dysfunction with much more dysfunction. We want to see a cleaner strategy, not less than a way. Listening to the drivers disillusioned with the efficiency, not totally understanding the the explanation why, and however studying that new updates will arrive at Imola, doesn’t appear to us to be getting into the suitable course.