Without intending to, and certainly without having planned for it, Formula 1 has found itself without any races during the month of April due to the conflict that erupted between Iran and the United States. The rising tensions in the Middle East forced the FIA, Liberty Media, and local promoters to cancel the Saudi Arabian and Bahrain Grands Prix in order to protect the image of the sport and the values it has been promoting for some time, but above all to ensure the safety of the paddock and all personnel involved during events in the Persian Gulf.
Despite the unexpected break in the calendar, all teams have remained fully committed during this period, using the downtime to carefully analyze the data collected in the opening rounds of the season and to continue developing their cars. The clear objective is to return to the track in Miami at the beginning of May with an improved package compared to what was seen in the early races of the championship.
Ferrari, work still to be done
Based on both data and results, one of the teams working the hardest during this April period is Ferrari, which has put together an intensive program spanning both track activities and factory development in order to make progress and deliver a turning point in a season that started positively but has not yet fully lived up to expectations.
After placing significant emphasis on the new technical regulations, the Scuderia once again finds itself chasing its rivals. The car introduced this season has shown strong qualities from a chassis perspective, but it still reveals limitations on the power unit side. This package currently allows Ferrari to be the second-strongest team on the grid behind Mercedes, while battling closely with McLaren. However, there is still considerable work required to close the gap to the Brackley-based team and to aim for major results, starting with race victories.
Pirro speaks
In short, although Ferrari’s start to the season can be considered positive overall, it has not entirely met expectations, as the team continues to play the role of the chaser rather than the benchmark.
This topic was addressed by Emanuele Pirro during a recent exclusive interview. The former Formula 1 driver, as well as a five-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, raised an interesting point regarding Ferrari’s current direction.
“I don’t know whether Ferrari was targeting this set of regulations to win — or whether Italy was hoping that these regulations would allow Ferrari to win,” admitted the Rome-born former driver. “I think Ferrari’s problem is that often the internal objectives are not aligned with the ambitions of the fans. But if someone says Ferrari had a bad start, they are not a fan that Ferrari deserves. They are the only team that has really challenged Mercedes and they entertained us with the duel in China between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, which instead of creating controversy actually entertained both of them. That’s something extraordinary for the sport, not something you can take for granted. It’s been a positive start to the season. If I can add one more thing…”
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