F1 Miami GP: Ferrari shows shocking downfall as customer team Haas gives them a run for their money
Ferrari struggled to attack Kevin Magnussen's Haas, raising the question, How has Ferrari sunk so far bottom.
Follow Us
Haas vs Ferrari (Credits: RacingNews 365)
Following the conclusion of the Miami Grand Prix, it is abundantly clear that Red Bull Racing has established a commanding lead over the rest of the competition. On the other hand, their erstwhile adversaries from the previous season, Ferrari, find themselves struggling to make any headway against the Austrian outfit. Adding insult to injury, the Prancing Horse were also being outpaced by their own customer team, Haas.
During the Miami Grand Prix, Haas demonstrated their had a very decent race, giving Ferrari a tough time, especially when Kevin Magnussen engaged in a fierce tussle with Charles Leclerc, successfully holding him back for several laps. Despite managing to overtake the Danish driver with only eight laps remaining, Leclerc was understandably disappointed with the outcome.
Meanwhile, Haas continued to show their mettle, as Magnussen’s battle with Leclerc was not the only highlight of the race. Nico Hulkenberg also put up a valiant defense against Lewis Hamilton, challenging the Mercedes driver in a thrilling duel. However, like Ferrari, the German team is also experiencing a less-than-stellar season, with their client team, Aston Martin, currently outpacing them and leading them in the standings.
Discover: Charles Leclerc on the brink of grid penalty after his crash at the Miami Grand Prix qualifying
How did Ferrari fall so far back?
To address this question, one must take a step back to the previous season, where Ferrari emerged as serious contenders for the title, leading the championship for the first seven races. However, their reliability issues and strategic missteps ultimately caused them to fall behind. Following this disappointing result, the team underwent significant restructuring and is now under the leadership of Fred Vasseur, following the termination of Mattia Binotto’s contract.
Over the winter, reports circulated suggesting that Ferrari had made significant strides, improving their performance by over a second from the previous season. However, their hopes were dashed during the opening race of the 2023 season, as Charles Leclerc suffered a control unit failure midway through the race. Additionally, Ferrari’s head of aerodynamics has recently departed, leaving some key positions vacant within the Scuderia. As a result, Ferrari has struggled this season and is currently in third place in the standings.
On the other hand, Haas has openly acknowledged that they are utilizing a design that mirrors that of their supplier, Ferrari. However, it is clear that Ferrari has superior downforce capabilities, despite this advantage not being reflected in their performance. Ferrari recently introduced their first major upgrades of the season, but the results have been underwhelming. And to rub salt on their wounds, the SF23 is still a tyre-eating machine.
The situation for Ferrari worsened during the race as Charles Leclerc was overtaken by Lewis Hamilton, while Carlos Sainz was penalized with a five-second penalty for pit lane speeding, which further cost him his position to George Russell. Ultimately, Ferrari only managed to secure 16 points, while their close rivals Mercedes garnered 20 points, leaving Ferrari with much ground to cover.
It remains to be seen how the Maranello-based team will proceed from here and whether they can secure at least one victory, let alone challenge for the Constructors’ Championship this season. In summary, Ferrari’s decline has been a combination of their reliability issues, and a reshuffling of the team’s leadership, which has affected their performance this season.
In case you missed it:
Stay Updated!
Rohit Bhaskar
(727 Articles Published)