Fred Vasseur already knew it after observe: “We aren’t on the lookout for the perfect Friday, we’re on the lookout for the perfect Sunday.” However the Easter Bunny – I do know, it’s late July – appears to have hidden the perfect Sunday exceedingly nicely. No less than, Ferrari could not discover it.
The Scuderia really delivered a masterclass in Budapest – specifically, in the best way to utterly blow a promising weekend.
By no means earlier than had the probabilities for a Ferrari success regarded so good going right into a weekend as on the Hungaroring. For the primary time, the Scuderia was thought-about real favourites for the win, and so they backed up that declare on Friday.
The competitors was completely blown away in observe: they handed McLaren, Mercedes & Co. a half-second beating in each FP1 and FP2. Though Kimi Antonelli confirmed the higher long term, in Hungary you first need to get previous your opponent.
Anybody who had guess on a Ferrari victory with their buddies on Friday night would possible have obtained solely a weary smile and the ironic line: “Boy, aren’t you courageous.”
However by some means, every little thing was totally different beginning Saturday. Though Charles Leclerc had already warned on Friday that he did not count on to have such an enormous lead in qualifying, pole went to another person: eventual race winner Lando Norris.
However: nonetheless no motive to panic. Ferrari put in a very good qualifying effort with second and third locations, and apart from, a spot of 0.012 seconds is hardly the top of the world.
Hungary ought to have been a slam-dunk for Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Picture by: Steven Tee / LAT Photographs through Getty Photographs
Lewis Hamilton additionally appeared to suppose he was on pole: after the session, he mistakenly parked on the board with the #1 on it.
In my thoughts’s eye, I might already see Sebastian Vettel – identical to Canada 2019 – taking the board away from Hamilton’s automobile and shifting it apart. Sadly, another person ended up doing the job…
Nonetheless, Hamilton wasn’t allowed to begin the race from second on Sunday. The seven-time World Champion had clearly impeded Oscar Piastri in Q3 and obtained a three-place grid penalty.
Vasseur took the blame on Ferrari’s behalf, stating the workforce failed to tell Hamilton in time {that a} driver on a scorching lap was behind him. So as a substitute of beginning second, the Briton was solely beginning fifth.
However: nonetheless no motive to panic. In any case, the entire of Sunday was nonetheless forward – and Ferrari often begins higher than the competitors anyway.
But the primary naysayers had been already heard earlier than the beginning. Ferrari was the one prime workforce that opted for the smooth tyres within the first stint – and if Ferrari is the one prime workforce doing one thing, you simply know it is mistaken.
“With the tough qualifying I placed on new mediums and all new softs, so I solely had scrubbed tyres”, Leclerc defined after the grand prix. “For the beginning, I needed to get the benefit of the smooth – and truthfully, we thought the smooth was a very good tyre.”
The weekend quickly fell aside for Ferrari
Picture by: Mark Thompson / Getty Photographs
Regardless of the smooth tyres, although, the beginning wasn’t gained; as a substitute, Leclerc dropped from second to fifth. “And we paid the value for that within the race,” he lamented.
Because the race unfolded, Ferrari continued to indicate little strategic selection and managed to deliver its drivers again onto the observe proper into heavy site visitors, nearly as if on function. On all three of Hamilton’s pit stops, the Briton landed instantly behind one other automobile.
Even so, Ferrari appeared to get it proper for as soon as, getting Hamilton previous Max Verstappen on the primary cease – just for the Briton to be caught napping once more at Flip 1 by the livid and courageous former world champion.
But that good resolution was ruined by the ultimate pit cease. That is when Ferrari made the error of pitting its drivers underneath the digital security automobile.
Hamilton had already misplaced second place in Silverstone on account of a call like that – and simply two races later, the very same factor occurs to the Scuderia. All whereas it ought to have been clear that overtaking was tough on Sunday anyway – until you are driving by means of a bunch of F1.5 automobiles like George Russell, otherwise you’re Verstappen.
Maybe the workforce was afraid that Hamilton can be caught napping once more by the Dutchman, although he was operating on 14-lap-old softs. And even he stayed out on these boots.
Second place was gone, as was third place to Kimi Antonelli, who had pitted for contemporary rubber simply earlier than the VSC. To make issues worse, Hamilton additionally copped a five-second penalty for rushing within the pit lane.
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For him, it is already the third race in a row with a penalty. And do not forget: Hamilton had additionally picked up a penalty on Saturday. As soon as once more, pure chaos at Ferrari.
One way or the other, the Scuderia do not appear suited to the function of favourites. In Barcelona and Silverstone, they had been in a position to have a good time stunning underdog victories, however as quickly as they’re tipped to win, they discover as some ways as attainable to mess up the weekend.
“That was not a very good Sunday,” Vasseur needed to admit. “Whenever you’re 1-2 on Friday, you count on way more than P4, P5.”
His evaluation: “We made too many errors as we speak.” I feel we must always go away it at that…
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