Formula 1: From euphoria to humiliation: Ferrari fails again

Charles Leclerc did not even try to sugarcoat the relapse into Ferrari’s worst crisis times. “It is very frustrating and ultimately a weekend to forget,” said the Monegasque after his early retirement from the Canadian Grand Prix.

Two weeks earlier, Leclerc celebrated a lavish victory party in his home country and was hoping to finally have a real chance in the Formula 1 title fight. After a debacle in Montreal with engine problems, wrong tactics and ultimately two retirements, there is not much of that left for the traditional Italian racing team.

Because world champion Max Verstappen also won the sixth of nine races of the season on Sunday, the Dutch Red Bull star has now moved 56 points ahead of second-placed Leclerc in the overall standings. The 26-year-old retired after being lapped. The drive problems could not be fixed, and he also had to drive briefly on wet tracks with dry tires – an impossible task. “This nosedive is very bad for morale and ambitions,” wrote the Italian newspaper “Corriere della Sera,” calling the double retirement a “humiliation.”

Concerns about engine problems grow

Carlos Sainz, winner of the race in Australia this year, also did not finish. He slipped on the wet track and crashed into the barrier. “That hurts a lot. The fact that we have lost so many points is a big loss. We have to look at the problems and hope that it doesn’t happen again,” said Leclerc, who had no chance in qualifying on Saturday and only started in eleventh place. The Spaniard Sainz was even behind in the time trial, coming in twelfth.

The reason for the loss of a lot of power was probably a fault in the engine control system. “We lost a lot of horsepower because of that,” said team boss Fred Vasseur. In Monaco, he and Leclerc jumped into the harbor together, euphoric over their triumph. “After the celebratory jump into the harbor of Monaco, Ferrari never reappeared,” wrote the “Corriere della Sera” with a touch of cynicism about the zero points.

“The fact that we have to change engines so often is not a good sign,” said Leclerc. There had already been some difficulties in Imola, but in Monaco it was no longer a problem for a while. In Montreal, however, Leclerc sometimes lost a second on the straights compared to the competition – a world of difference in the premier class of motorsport. The problem should be solved before the next race in Barcelona in two weeks.

Last driver title 17 years ago

If that doesn’t work, the proud car manufacturer’s short-term euphoria will soon end. The list of those who failed to become world champions at Ferrari is already long and prominent. Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel are among them, as is Leclerc himself, who will probably fail in his sixth attempt. Two years ago he was at least runner-up in the world championship once.

In 2007, the Finn Kimi Räikkönen was the last Ferrari driver to make it to the top. The last multiple champion in red was Michael Schumacher. He shaped an entire era and enchanted the Tifosi like no one else since he last won the title 20 years ago. The longing to return to those times is enormous at the team based in Maranello. And there is great hope that next year, with the experience of Lewis Hamilton, they might finally be able to turn things around.

The 39-year-old is moving from Mercedes to the Scuderia, but is likely to view the recurring difficulties with concern, especially as his current Silver Arrow is getting stronger and stronger. In Canada, Mercedes was able to set the pace at times and put Verstappen under pressure, with Hamilton at least finishing fourth. Sainz, who will be ousted by the British superstar at the end of the season, had to admit: “We never had the speed to be competitive. It’s very disappointing when you have the strongest weekend and then the weakest straight after.”