Technically, Ferrari knows how to develop the F1-75 and has probably made it the best car on the grid. However, race management is weak. In a French GP where it placed itself superior, it slipped into mistakes and made Red Bull's life much easier in 2022
"CHOCHA, capenga, limp, anemic, fragile and inconsistent". There is nothing that represents Ferrari's performance more than Renata Vasconcelos' famous meme. This is because it is particularly disturbing to try to understand what happens in Maranello. The brand with the most titles in Formula 1 history and an icon of the sport, the team has simply lost its nose and doesn't even know how to compete for a championship anymore. This is the conclusion that can be drawn after a disastrous French GP.
The fact is that the scorching race in Paul Ricard will most likely be remembered as a watershed in 2022. I mean, it was a very important victory for Max Verstappen - who now has a 63-point lead in the standings - and at the same time it revealed all of Ferrari's flaws and weaknesses. And even though there are ten stages left in this season, it is hardly possible for the Italians to turn this game around. It is a paradox because Ferrari sees opportunities slipping through its fingers having in the garage perhaps the best car on the grid.
This is an important aspect that deserves analysis. Despite the engine failures registered this year, Ferrari has done an excellent job in developing the F1-75, especially from the aerodynamics and chassis point of view. The group that answers to technical director Laurent Mekies has promoted sharp updates since mid-May, and this weekend they put on the track an innovative floorpan that aimed to reduce porpoising and increase downforce. Both objectives seem to have been achieved.
Another highlight goes to the overall configuration of the cars. Ferrari was not intimidated by Red Bull's straight-line speed and preferred to work deeply on balance and tire wear. The French race showed that the team got this right. Not only did the red models show great performance in corner exits, but it was also possible to better manage the compounds.
But this effort seems to have been in vain, given the team's indecisions during the race, and the mistake made by Charles Leclerc on lap 17, while leading the race, after an excellent start from pole and a start in which he managed to keep Verstappen under control. Charles' performance even prompted Red Bull to bring forward the Dutchman's pit-stop in an attempt to profit at the end of the race. Now, there is no way of knowing what would have happened, since the abandonment of the #16 car made life easier for the defending champion.
It is very true that the Monegasque has his responsibility for points lost in 2022, and those from Paul Ricard will go on the account as well, but the way the team acts at times can also exert an enormous amount of pressure. Leclerc crashed soon after he knew he would have to set a stronger pace because the team had set a longer stint - within what Ferrari likes to call plan A, B, C, D...
The fact is that Leclerc's abandonment alone is already a disaster for any intention of title contention. "I can't make those mistakes, if we lose the championship the responsibility will be mine. I have said that I think I am at my highest level in my whole career, but if I keep making these mistakes, there is no point in going on like this. I'm losing a lot of points," Charles acknowledged afterwards, displaying the severe self-criticism that comes naturally to him.
"It was seven points in Imole, 25 here, because we were probably the strongest car on the track today, so if we lose the championship by 32 points at the end of the season, I'll know where it went," he added.
Leclerc is absolutely right. It is an unacceptable mistake for someone who is chasing his first title, even more so in front of a more mature Verstappen and a Red Bull tuned for the intense dispute of 2021.
But the responsibility is also heavy for Ferrari. The example is what happened to Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard was making a great recovery race from penultimate position, imposed by the engine change. Starting on hard tires, in what would have been a very long stint, the Spaniard was called to the pits on lap 18, taking advantage of the safety car - but the stop was too early for those on hard tires. The team changed to the mediums in a mock pit-stop. Besides being slow, the driver was released on top of Alexander Albon. The result: 5s of punishment. This sanction seems to have wrapped up the thoughts in the red garage, because it was clear that there was a doubt about a second visit to the pits - plan D!
And everything that happened next was as a consequence of that fumble. Because Sainz had enough pace to fight for the podium, so he shouldn't even be in this situation to begin with. And rightly so, the driver complained more than once about the pit-wall mess. The highlight was when Carlos, who was already fighting hard with Sergio Perez for third place, wanted to stop for another change, but the team kept him on track. After finally passing the Mexican in a beautiful maneuver, the engineers called for him, but they heard: "Not now, guys. Not now.
In the end, Sainz went to the pits, came back in ninth position and had to row all over again, even for the time he lost between the stop and the punishment, so any chance of a podium was by the wayside.
In other words, Ferrari didn't know how to take advantage of the great performance of the driver of the #55 car. And more than that, the Italians don't seem to know how to fight for this championship. Leaving a weekend in which it had the best performance with only 11 points proves, once again, that there is something that doesn't fit in Ferrari. It is also strange to observe the speech of the boss Mattia Binotto, who talks about "our approach is this, step by step, and I think we are progressing and becoming better".
"We can try to win every race from now on," he added. But to win you first need to finish - preferably ahead of your rivals.