Scuderia Ferrari’s performance at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix was good enough for both cars to finish in the points and in a fairly regular racing condition that would likely have kept the cars further from the top last year.
Charles Leclerc fought for a good part of the race with McLaren (third force last year, apparently stable on that position in the start of the 2021 Formula 1 championship) while Carlos Sainz preferred not to force his hand too much in his first Grand Prix with the Maranello team to be able to learn and gather information useful for the near future. However, despite a better overall impression, the gaps from the top of the standings remained wide, suggesting that the podium positions could be reached in less regular races than that seen on the Sakhir circuit.
“Developing the negative as it was done with the roll of photographs before the selfies, I will add that if nothing else, the management in the pits and the application of the strategies were impeccable. On the surface they are small things, but they serve to restore trust to the group. Jean Todt, too, at the dawn of his glorious term, insisted a lot on attention to detail. To constantly improve yourself in order to be ready to win once the competitiveness has been recovered. […] But for now the presence on the podium risks remaining a chimera” – writes Leo Turrini in the Resto del Carlino.
“Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished in the top ten, but the expectations after qualifying were different. Four months ago the Ferrari cars ended up lapped in Bahrain and brought home only one point. This time they cross the finish line one minute behind and with 12 total points in the constructors’ standings. The glass is half full. Of the five drivers who preceded Charles Leclerc, four drive Mercedes or Red Bull, that is, they make a separate competition, and the other is Norris with McLaren, or the main opponent for third place among the constructors. For a victory, barring crazy races, it will be necessary to wait patiently for next year” – is the analysis made by Italian newspaper La Stampa.
“They expected signs of recovery after the all-time low of the last forty years reached in 2020, they arrived together with the awareness that ‘the road to the podium is long’. And that from one track to another the values could change, for better or for worse. Let’s start from a fixed point, Charles Leclerc, first giving a high grade with the means he had. The Maranello engine has grown as has the rear aerodynamics, but it didn’t take much to do that.” – Corriere della Sera wrote.
“You can be happy with a sixth and eighth place. Even though Ferrari is not where it should be, it is also no longer in hell where it has recently been. It has already been understood that the duel will essentially be with McLaren”- Italian daily newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport concludes.
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