The leitmotif of the Italian press comments on Ferrari's performance yesterday was something like this: “Yes, there is nothing to be happy about, but it is not a disaster yet. At least it is too early to dramatize the situation.”
But when you start analyzing the events that took place on the Australian Grand Prix track, you have to admit: Ferrari started the new season in a way that couldn't have been worse. Of course, this is also a bit of an exaggeration, because it could have been much worse, and yesterday both cars still made it to the finish line, and both drivers earned points, although they ended up at the very bottom of the prize ten.
The author of the text on Gazzetta dello Sport is then forced to admit: “It’s all about mistakes that seem to have become part of the team’s DNA, and this is a cause for serious concern.”
Of course, we are talking about mistakes in the choice of tactics during the race, which took place in difficult weather conditions. This has long been a weak point for the Scuderia, and examples of poor tactical decisions, due to which its drivers lost points, missed the opportunity to get on the podium, and even the chance to win, were in almost every previous season.
What happened yesterday was that while most of the rivals rushed to the pits for intermediate tyres on lap 44, Ferrari decided to take a risk and left Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton on the track on hard slicks. Leclerc was running 5th at the time, Hamilton – 8th.
The Scuderia strategists hoped that the rain would soon stop, but the water on the track was increasing, Leclerc spun, he lost several positions, including in relation to his teammate – however, later, after a pit stop on lap 47, he regained his position and finished 8th. But Lewis on the last lap was unable to hold off the onslaught of Oscar Piastri, who dashingly broke through to the front after the troubles that overtook the Australian McLaren driver at an earlier stage of the Grand Prix.
After the finish, Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur urged his team to improve their communication during the race and to improve their rapport with the seven-time world champion, who was clearly frustrated at finishing two positions down on his start.
“This was the first race and the first time we were on the pit wall communicating with the car on the track by radio,” Vasseur was quoted as saying by the ESPN website. “We will be able to do a better job when we get to know each other better. Of course, this race was very expensive, it was difficult to choose tactics, and we will have to find a more effective approach to communication between the car and the pit wall. But after this race, we will draw conclusions and there will be no problems.
The weekend's results are not shocking, but of course it was not the best. Now we must learn all the necessary lessons, and there are many, and focus on preparing for the Chinese Grand Prix. We need to improve mutual understanding, understand what demands Lewis makes in terms of communication, because such situations only arise during the races. But next weekend we will act more correctly.”
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