After a dismal weekend for Ferrari on the Canadian Grand Prix, Sky Sports activities F1 assesses whether or not the Italian crew is able to finish their title drought.
Ferrari suffered their first double DNF in two years as a surprising lack of tempo was compounded by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz failing to complete the race.
From Leclerc’s high-profile win on house soil in Monaco to powertrain points, crew and driver errors and tire struggles in Montreal, Ferrari have been scratching their heads forward of the Spanish Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen’s victory on the weekend gave him a 56-point lead over Leclerc within the drivers’ championship and left Ferrari 48 factors behind Purple Bull within the constructors’ championship.
Forward of Montreal, Leclerc believed Ferrari may beat Purple Bull in no less than one in every of this yr’s championships, however these hopes had been dealt a serious blow on the weekend.
Contemplating Ferrari is a severe contender, whether or not it is this season or not, they can not afford a weekend like this the place nearly the whole lot went improper.
Technique and tire issues trigger an early knockout in qualifying
The Gilles Villeneuve circuit was anticipated to match the traits of the Ferrari automotive with its fast change of path and skill to drive on curbs.
Nonetheless, moist Friday and chilly climate didn’t play into the Scuderia’s favor in qualifying. Each drivers made it by way of the primary a part of qualifying safely, however crashed out within the second quarter.
Ferrari determined to run Leclerc and Sainz on used smooth tires to save lots of the brand new equipment for Q3. This resulted in a dramatic reverse and left Leclerc in eleventh and Sainz in twelfth.
“The largest drawback was that we had been very gradual. Each time it has been dry, we have been nowhere and we’ve to determine it out,” Leclerc mentioned. Sky Sports activities F1.
“Since FP3 we’ve been nowhere. The automotive feels unhealthy. No grip in any respect. The tires by no means felt prepared.”
Ferrari used the brand new smooth tires at the beginning of Q2 as they thought there was rain forward. Nonetheless, the monitor was creating and different groups with contemporary rubber handed them and entered the highest 10.
Sainz made a mistake on the closing nook in his closing Q2 that value him round three-tenths, another excuse for his shock exit.
“If we had accomplished the whole lot completely with the brand new tires at the beginning as an alternative of the top and a cleaner final nook, Q3 was doable, however in actuality it was too harsh,” Sainz mentioned.
“Usually at another monitor, if you happen to’d run second-hand on the finish, we would nonetheless do Q3 and combat for pole, but when you do not get these particulars proper, you get came upon.”
Extra engine issues for Leclerc
Issues did not enhance within the race as Leclerc suffered an influence unit drawback and was unable to make progress.
Ferrari tried to deal with Leclerc’s lack of energy, which he described as a brand new drawback, in the course of the pit cease and it initially appeared to work.
Nonetheless, additionally they guess on giving him dry tires when the rain began and must change them a number of laps later when the showers intensified.
The leaders quickly handed the Monegasque driver after which the engine gremlins returned, forcing Ferrari to retire their automotive after 40 of the scheduled 70 laps.
“I used to be dropping 1.2 seconds on the straights, which was actually annoying,” mentioned Leclerc.
“Then I had 10 lap modifications on totally different engines, which was a really irritating race since you get handed by everybody on the straights.
“We had been fast within the corners and I believe the tempo was fairly excessive at the beginning contemplating issues, however we could not have accomplished something higher with the engine drawback.”
It isn’t the primary time Leclerc’s automotive has confronted engine bother in 2024 after Ferrari found an issue with its new energy unit following the Miami Grand Prix.
One other problem at Imola prompted Leclerc to make use of a 3rd energy pack, and he was additionally given a brand new vitality storage and management electronics in Canada, so he’s already on the verge of grid penalties for extreme use of energy pack parts.
“Coming into the weekend, I mentioned we’ve to reset each time we come into a brand new weekend. That is precisely what we did,” mentioned Leclerc.
“No matter occurred final weekend, it’s important to reset and you’ll’t depend on the Monaco sport. We knew it might be tough.
“We most likely had a worse shock than in qualifying and that is one thing we’ve to concentrate to.”
Sainz is spinning within the battle for factors
As for Sainz, who was the topic of a really public courtship from Williams boss James Vowles earlier within the weekend, he lacked the pace of his Ferrari team-mate however felt the automotive was beginning to catch as much as him because the monitor dried up. exterior.
Nonetheless, he suffered entrance wing and flooring harm in an early collision with Valtteri Bottas. Then, working tenth, Sainz went extensive at flip six and spun, hitting the again of Alex Albon’s automotive.
“Driver error. I began to take dangers as a result of within the dry we had been a bit extra aggressive and there was a possibility to attain some factors if I took a threat and overtook the automobiles within the DRS trains, however in the long run I paid the worth,” mentioned the Spaniard.
“It is one other signal, if you happen to push slightly bit, you are not likely certain and the automotive shouldn’t be 100%, you find yourself paying for it.
“It’s totally disappointing to go from our strongest weekend to our weakest. At present it’s Components 1. We now have to research the whole lot to come back again stronger.”
Is Ferrari falling behind McLaren?
Ignoring their big weekend in Monaco, Ferrari have overwhelmed McLaren in China, Miami, Imola and now Canada.
They’re 40 factors forward of McLaren within the Constructors’ Championship, however the Woking crew have the momentum and the extra versatile automotive.
Ferrari have historically struggled with moist and funky circumstances in F1 over the previous 10 years, and that trait appears to have continued with this yr’s automotive.
As F1 heads to Europe for the summer season, there ought to be loads of sizzling racing to assist Ferrari, however they’re nonetheless not fairly able to problem week after week, regardless of an enormous enchancment below Frederic Wasser.
“Hardest race weekend, I do not know,” Wasser mentioned when requested if Canada was his hardest since taking up as Ferrari crew principal at the beginning of 2023.
“However it was undoubtedly not the most suitable choice. Generally you are feeling that the whole lot goes improper and the whole lot goes in opposition to you.
“However it will not change the method, which is that we work as a crew, with the riders in good instances and unhealthy. We’ll maintain the identical method subsequent weekend and proceed collectively. I am not afraid of a weekend like this.”
Components 1 returns to Europe because the championship strikes to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix and the beginning of a triple leg. Watch each session at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya from June 21-23 reside on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream each F1 race and extra with NOW Sports activities Month membership – no contract, cancel anytime