The once so successful Ferrari Formula 1 team is now used to grief. But at Scuderia, heads are already smoking after last Sunday’s debacle in Le Castellet, in which no World Cup points were visible. There is a need for action before the double pack from Sunday in Spielberg. Otherwise, the rank as third force behind the dominant racing teams of Red Bull and Mercedes is in serious danger.
Magic up a fast lap – no problem with the Ferrari this year. Charles Leclerc was able to achieve pole position twice in Monte Carlo and Baku. But there was little to reap in the race itself. The next setback in France: “We just couldn’t get the tires to work,” said team principal Mattia Binotto. What the Reds have been struggling with for a long time? “Graining”, ie the degradation of racing tires, is apparently faster on the Ferrari than on the competition. “We have a particularly small working window for the front tires. We often have to struggle with more wear than our opponents,” says Carlos Sainz junior.
Ferrari is under pressure at the two races in Styria because McLaren, the direct rival for third place in the team standings, has now overtaken the men from Maranello. Charles Leclerc is looking forward to the two missions in Styria. “I was able to get second place there last year. Of course I was a bit lucky. But we have to analyze the last weekend in more detail in order to eradicate some mistakes,” says the 23-year-old Monegasse.
But big changes are not necessarily to be expected for Spielberg either. Ferrari sports director Laurent Mekies has already announced: “We have now bundled all development resources for 2022. We will no longer bring any improvements to the SF21 to alleviate certain weaknesses of the vehicle.”
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
