The highly-anticipated major aerodynamic upgrade package introduced by Scuderia Ferrari for the Spanish Grand Prix weekend at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona was described as a “complete failure” by Italian journalist and well-known Ferrari insider Leo Turrini, a view shared by most part of the Italian media following the disappointing result and performance in the Spanish Grand Prix last weekend:
“Ferrari sinks more and more into chaos,” – Italian daily newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport wrote after the Barcelona race – “The problems of an unpredictable car seem insoluble”, while Corriere dello Sport pointed out that “the worst thing of all is that the team doesn’t understand its problems.”
One of Italy’s oldest newspapers, Corriere della Sera, believes that the Maranello team is “at a dead end” with no prospects of improvement in the short term – “Barcelona should have been the turning point of the season but the technical innovations aren’t producing any results,” it said.
Leo Turrini explained in an article for his Quotidiano blog: “Let’s say this was a midterm and Ferrari failed. And it was a complete failure. The mythical upgrades don’t work, and (Charles) Leclerc’s words after the race were an ode to disappointment.”
At the same time, following the Spanish Grand Prix, the Italian newspapers quoted the Monegasque driver as saying: “I’ve had quite a few disappointing days this year, and this one fits seamlessly into the rest of the season. The car is impossible to understand,” he added. “I put on the same tyre type in two different phases of the race and it behaves differently even if I do the same things.”
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Leo Turrini continued: “It was a painful spring for those like me who grew up with Ferrari. And I’m now afraid the summer will be even worse.”
Ex-Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher also believes that it will be difficult for Ferrari to get back on top and relive the amazing moments when his brother Michael secured the Formula 1 championship five times in a row between 2000 and 2004. Yet the co-commentator for Sky Sport in Germany pointed out that fans have to be patient with new Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur, as the French manager needs more time to work the difficult situation and turn things around for the Maranello team.
“He’s only been in office for a few months – it just takes time and he has to be given that,” Ralf Schumacher said for Sky Deutschland – “He’s in the process of bringing some new people into the team and it may be a while before they all start to work and this work then bears fruit,” the former Formula 1 driver continued – “It’s also possible that Ferrari can write off this season and also the beginning of next year.”
