Maranello Armageddon! Will Ferrari’s engines and cars still stand on their feet?

Comment: At the start of the Formula 1 season, Ferrari was back in the lead after a long time and fans of the red cars were excited for the new year. And they had reason to be, as Charles Leclerc won the very first Grand Prix. He also showed a very advanced driving performance in the duels with Max Verstappen. But in the last few races, the tables have turned again and Red Bull is now in the lead. What is behind this?

What is behind Ferrari’s poor results? Certainly not just technical problems. Leclerc’s teammate Carlos Sainz lost a large number of points to the Italian team. He didn’t finish the races at Imola and in Australia, and on both occasions he ended up in the gravel in the opening laps. His third retirement was caused by brake failure in the last VC in Azerbaijan.

It was in Baku that Charles Leclerc also finished early, but he withdrew due to engine failure, as he did in the Spanish VC. Another problem is the fact that the Monegasque is running out of components. Drivers can only use three engines per season. Leclerc may have to fit a fourth turbo this weekend in Canada, which would mean a penalty.

There’s still one more stop to make at the last race in Baku. Four drivers were not classified in the final results on the streets of the Azerbaijani capital. Leclerc, Sainz, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Guangyu Zhou in the Alfa Romeo.

That’s a foursome with Ferrari engines. In addition, Magnussen had the same problem as Leclerc, in simple terms, the Dane’s engine burnt out. Zhou had an unspecified problem with his C42. In addition, he was fighting for solid points until then.

Back to the Ferrari team itself. The famous stable has been waiting for a world championship since 2007. And after a promising start to this year, it looks set to extend that streak. Plus, the drivers aren’t helped by the team’s strategists. The Monaco race was proof of that, where not only did they make a bad decision to change to dry tyres, but also called both drivers to a stop at the same time.

Leclerc thus ended up slowing behind Sainz, not least because the team wanted to cancel his pit stop at the last minute. On the other hand, Red Bull once again proved to be a team with a precise strategy on the pit wall. Thanks to this, Sergio Pérez also won the race and took his third career victory.

The gap in the two championships is now quite significant. Max Verstappen currently leads the drivers’ championship with 150 points, ahead of teammate Sergio Pérez with 129 points. Leclerc in a Ferrari is third with 116 points, followed by George Russell in a Mercedes with 99 points and Carlos Sainz in fifth with 83 points.

Red Bull leads the Constructors’ Cup with 279 points, 80 more than Ferrari in second position. In addition, the team around Verstappen has lost just four points in the last three Grands Prix. And judging by the current situation, a reversal may not be imminent. Moreover, Mercedes will also be trying to have a say in the championship.

We’ll have to wait a few more races to see if the famous Maranello team can get back to the top. But one thing is clear. After a good start, the red monoblocs are starting to struggle again.

Sources: F1, Red Bull Racing