That Sauber of Nico Hulkenberg, which overtook Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari on the Montmeló straight (a circuit thought of a litmus check for automotive efficiency—those that win right here usually win the title), broke Ferrari followers’ hearts simply as a lot because it seemingly delighted former group principal Mattia Binotto. There couldn’t have been a extra telling picture to painting the seven-time world champion’s wrestle to make his Ferrari aggressive. However that’s just one aspect of the coin. On the opposite is Charles Leclerc, the only shiny spot in Maranello’s season, a driver who has by no means stopped giving it his all: he completed third after beginning seventh, cleared of any blame in a conflict with Verstappen that he emerged from forward, though solely due to Purple Bull’s poor choice to pit Max throughout the security automotive.
They knew they solely had one contemporary set of arduous tyres left (he had used up the others in a really aggressive three-stop technique that also saved him near the McLaren automobiles and nicely forward of Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari). At that time, it might have made extra sense to depart him out on monitor: on the restart, he would have been first, albeit on tender tyres that have been much more worn than his rivals’, however it might have been as much as them to go him. It simply goes to indicate—even the perfect pit partitions make errors, not simply these at Maranello.
The dominance—Ferrari leaves Barcelona nonetheless because the second-best group within the championship. As a result of McLaren’s dominance has not pale one bit, and the brand new technical directive on wings definitely didn’t harm the British group, regardless of reassurances from group principal Frederic Vasseur, who had repeatedly pointed to Barcelona as the purpose the place the efficiency hole between the 2 groups would cut. Nicely, it didn’t occur: in qualifying, the hole to McLaren was half a second (and it’s arduous to justify it by saying Charles sacrificed qualifying to prioritise the race, as a result of the impact was barely seen), and within the race, there was by no means actually a battle—ranging from seventh all the time makes issues tougher. McLaren’s superiority was underlined by the ten.455-second hole that Oscar Piastri opened up on Charles Leclerc within the remaining six laps, regardless of each being on the identical tender tyre compound. So we’re again to what was mentioned after Miami: Ferrari ended 2024 simply 16 factors behind McLaren and with almost equal efficiency, whereas now, after 9 races, they’ve lower than half McLaren’s factors. One thing hasn’t labored in yr three of the Frederic Vasseur period. Ought to he be given extra time? Sure—altering now could be pointless. However in Maranello, it’s time to acknowledge that the reasons are over. And it’s not price fueling illusions concerning the game-changing powers of the brand new rear suspension anticipated round Silverstone. You’ll be able to’t preserve kicking the can down the street and hoping one thing clicks.
Solely Max Verstappen—Purple Bull isn’t smiling both. They’ve been racing with only one driver for over a yr, and even for somebody as distinctive as Max, he can’t do it on their lonesome. This yr, out of 144 factors scored, solely seven have come from the second automotive (first Yuki Lawson, now Yuki Tsunoda), whereas final season Sergio Perez, after a robust begin, managed simply 49 factors from Imola to Abu Dhabi (18 races). A repair is required, or Verstappen shall be left to battle everybody on his personal. And now there’s additionally the looming menace of a race ban, as his collision with George Russell value him three extra penalty factors—only one extra and he’ll miss a Grand Prix. That may be a catastrophic blow. Lastly, a particular point out for Fernando Alonso: at 43, he ends his factors drought and hasn’t misplaced a shred of his combating spirit. Chapeau.
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