After a good and encouraging start to the 2024 Formula 1 season, Ferrari seems to have entered a worrying and very discouraging downward trend, having fallen from the role of second force in the field for two consecutive races. In fact, the SF-24 has proven to be the fourth force in the field in both Spain and Zeltweg: a harsh and merciless verdict, which also emerged at the end of the Austrian GP qualifying, with which the Scuderia is forced to come to terms. A difficult session in which, contrary to predictions, the Italian side again struggled to perform as expected and, above all, at the level of its rivals, not so much Red Bull and McLaren, but Mercedes, which has changed its pace for a few GPs and has started to be an uncomfortable rival for Maranello.
The team led by Frédéric Vasseur, as mentioned, again appeared to be struggling due to a car that, since the arrival of development packages (at Imola and then in Barcelona), seems to be at the mercy of itself, having lost the optimal balance of the car and struggling with tire management, temperatures, with harmful bouncing reappearing (which will lead to evaluations on the development direction taken), and a team not impeccable in the setup decisions during race weekends, leading the drivers to request last-minute setup changes, just before qualifying.
Qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull RIng ended with Carlos Sainz in fourth place and Charles Leclerc in sixth, who, despite their desire to compensate with driving at the limits of the car (with the Monegasque driver overdriving and unable to complete a clean lap), could do little in such a situation. This state of affairs, in his “Profondo Rosso” blog, was analyzed and commented on by Italian journalist and Ferrari insider Leo Turrini who, first of all, could not help but acknowledge the lack of competitiveness of the Maranello team, without, however, calling for immediate changes as has too often and unsuccessfully happened in the past.
“True, between Spain and Austria, we have seen a Ferrari that is solidly anchored in fourth place among the teams. […] Simply, things are not working as hoped. So far, it’s frankly an embarrassing start to the summer. It’s not the time to call for trials. We’ve had too many of those. Long life to Fred Vasseur, a life that is becoming bumpy.” – he pointed out.
A situation stemming from chronic problems of Ferrari, probably data correlation issues between simulations and the track, which have led the technicians to approve developments that, in the car, do not seem to work as expected. A situation further complicated by drivers who, like Charles Leclerc, try to compensate for the car’s deficiencies by going beyond the limit: a behavior that, in fact, exacerbates the situation and which, from a driver like the Monegasque, is no longer acceptable.
“Simply, it’s the eternal return of the same issue: you bring updates but the results are not encouraging. It might be the simulator, it might be the wind tunnel. […] Now they’re even talking about bouncing again. […] On Charles Leclerc’s mistake, I could dedicate a treatise on psychoanalysis. Frustration can lead to exaggeration, but a driver must know how to control his emotions. End of story.” – Leo Turrini concluded.
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