The 1000th World Championship event threw up some intriguing storylines, with Ferrari once again failing to make an impression on Mercedes. Formula One experts Lawrence Barretto and Mark Hughes provide the answers to the questions fans had after the Chinese Grand Prix.
Question: “Out of the remaining races, where do you think Ferrari will be able to peg back the advantage Mercedes have?”
Lawrence Barretto – motor racing journalist:
“Encouragingly for the Tifosi, the upcoming race in Azerbaijan should offer Ferrari an immediate chance to hit back and stop Mercedes’ unbeaten start to the season. You’ll be able to read more about why in a feature we’ll publish on Monday… Beyond that, Spain’s Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya should be a happy hunting ground for Ferrari, considering their impressive form in pre-season testing that provided evidence the SF90 is at one with the circuit’s unique smooth and dirty surface.”
Question: “Why does Ferrari always pick the same strategy for both drivers? Im sure one of them could get by Q2 on a harder tire. I think this would solve their poor team order strategy and diversify the pit stop options during the race.”
Mark Hughes – motor racing journalist:
“Assuming that you’re asking why Ferrari didn’t split the drivers’ strategies in Q2 – both Vettel and Leclerc having made it through the segment on the medium tyre – if they had run one of them on the soft, that driver would have been at a strategic disadvantage. There is almost always one prime strategy that is clearly better than the alternative and if you split it, then you are placing one driver at a disadvantage over the other before the race has even begun. Not only would this create internal tensions, but it would also put the disadvantaged car on the back foot against the opposition. The team is pretty much obliged to give both drivers the maximum chance and then to manage any resultant difficulties as they arise.”
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