In Belgium, Scuderia Ferrari for the first time in 2022 was unable to contend for the race win against Red Bull. At the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the F1-75 cars were not competitive, Carlos Sainz took pole position only due to the penalties received by Max Verstappen, who was able to outpace his former teammate from Toro Rosso by six tenths on the flying lap. In the race, on the following day, there was no actual fight, with the reigning champion who quickly recovered to the take the lead and win the Belgian Grand Prix, as Sergio Perez also easily got the better of Carlos Sainz. The Spanish driver had to push hard in the final laps to protect P3 against George Russell, securing at least a podium finish for the Maranello team at Spa.
Several factors contributed to the first weekend in which Ferrari did not have any answer against Red Bull this season. The Spa-Francorchamps track was perfect for enhancing the characteristics of the Red Bull RB18 and the fact of having to raise the car a few millimeters more than usual due to the bumps of the Belgian track has moved the ideal operating window for the F1-75 car in the combination of aerodynamic load, set-up and performance of the tires, which despite a high aerodynamic load have had significant problems of degradation (“my soft tires lasted three laps”, the words of Carlos Sainz to Max Verstappen in the cool down room at the end of the race).
At Zandvoort in the Netherlands, Scuderia Ferrari will seek redemption by exploiting the track characteristics. The Dutch circuit, in fact, should allow the F1-75 to express its qualities as a high downforce car by also allowing Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to quickly bring the tires up to temperature, an aspect in which Red Bull is the best car on the starting grid:
“Tire degradation is not a big problem precisely because it is necessary to have high downforce on this track. This should allow Ferrari technicians to find the ideal set-up to speed up the process of bringing the tires in the ideal operating window. In essence, this track, which on paper does not highlight any particular critical issues for the F1-75 car and does not enhance the aerodynamic efficiency of the Red Bull, should be great opportunity for the Maranello team to hit back.” – Paolo Filisetti wrote in today’s edition of the Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.
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According to Gazzetta dello Sport, moreover, in Zandvoort Ferrari will be able to count on “minor updates that should be concentrated in the area of the diffuser and in the rear area of the floor”.
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