“Far too inconsistent,” Ferrari boss calls for internal investigation after disastrous Miami GP
Ferrari endured a torrid weekend at Miami, contrary to expectations
Follow Us
Frederic Vasseur (Credits: The Independent)
The Miami Grand Prix saw a race that was a disaster for the likes of Scuderia Ferrari. The race saw Carlos Sainz start in a strong P3 and Charles Leclerc in P7 following his incident in Q3. However, none of them could improve their grid positions on race day.
Charles Leclerc struggled all weekend, even crashing his car at turn seven twice. He struggled to get in the groove on Sunday and was stuck behind their customer team Haas. Carlos Sainz’s race was disappointing too, which saw him drop to P5, overwhelmed by the Mercedes of George Russell. This result is shocking, as they expected more after showing promise and potential at Baku.
Speaking after the race, team boss Frederic Vasseur said to the media, “It was a tough weekend and a tough race because the pace was decent [in Qualifying] but we were not able to put everyone together. We were far too inconsistent from one car to the other and from one lap to the other. We really need to focus attention on this because that is key for us.”
Their inconsistencies included the cars performing differently on the same compound of tires, as well as the drivers each preferring different tire compounds altogether. Carlos Sainz preferred the medium tire, while Charles Leclerc found better footing on the hards.
Ferrari’s inconsistency is a key factor in their dismal showings
Ferrari utilized their break after the Australian GP well, as they looked strong in Baku. They secured pole position for the sprint, as well as the race, and were formidable over a single lap. This was not representative of their race pace, however, as they were overwhelmed by Red Bull.
Nonetheless, they looked to have jumped Aston Martin and Mercedes and registered a strong result in Azerbaijan, stepping on the podium. They also claimed to have identified the source of their drag, inhibiting them on the straights, and blamed the floor. However, after this alleged fix, the team from Maranello appears to be slower.
Leclerc crashed his Ferrari twice leading up to the race, and Sainz struggled to keep up with Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin. During the race, their lack of pace showed, and they suffered the consequences. They were beaten by the likes of both Mercedes, who looked even more dismal in qualifying.
This stark contrast in performance between Baku and Miami requires investigation and introspection, as Vasseur said. They sit 4th in the Constructors standings, 18 points adrift of Mercedes. With Mercedes bringing major upgrades to Imola and Aston Martin maintaining a strong trajectory, if the Scuderia does not rectify these errors in time, they will fall into the midfield once again.
In case you missed it:
- Lewis Hamilton wants to race in F1 alongside Fernando Alonso even after the age of fifty
- Helmut Marko blasts Mercedes for its ‘manipulative tricks’ to diminish Red Bull’s DRS advantage
Stay Updated!
Tanuj Sadasivam
(245 Articles Published)