Performance Anxiety? The Press Review
“30 points without merit” was Ferrari’s official statement after the Chinese Grand Prix, where the maximum possible haul was 58, including the Sprint. McLaren only fell short due to qualifying errors by Oscar Piastri and, most notably, Lando Norris. The Woking-based team took home 51 points, while Ferrari was left with just the 12 from Saturday’s Sprint, as both SF-25s were disqualified for technical infractions. Charles Leclerc’s car was underweight by a kilogram, while the skid block on Hamilton’s car fell below the 9mm legal minimum at all three measuring points (8.6, 8.5, and 8.6mm). Never before in F1 history had a team suffered a double post-race disqualification for different reasons.
“Two cars excluded for separate technical infractions is alarming. For the most prestigious team in F1, it’s like Real Madrid losing a match by default for miscounting substitutions,” wrote Daniele Sparisci in Corriere della Sera under the headline “Ferrari, Red Card.” “This is something you’d expect in lower categories. We’re talking about the basics here—putting compliant cars on the track. This embarrassment may stem from the performance anxiety and pressure swirling since the Bahrain tests when it became clear that the SF-25 was more complex than expected. In China, the second major miscalculation likely resulted from a car that behaves differently than in simulations and the wind tunnel.”
“Two Ferraris disqualified, for different reasons, with an admission of guilt, exposes troubling flaws in methodology and approach,” added Giorgio Terruzzi in his editorial for the Milan-based newspaper. “Too many mistakes, a sea of troubles. The suspicion is that Ferrari had to push the limits of the regulations because it has no choice but to operate at the very edge—across different technical areas—with no satisfaction in return.”
According to La Stampa, countermeasures are already in motion ahead of Suzuka, where Ferrari cannot afford another failure, already trailing McLaren by 61 points in the Constructors’ standings. “Once you hit rock bottom, you can either dig deeper or climb back up,” wrote Jacopo d’Orsi in his article titled “Chinese Shadows.” “Ferrari not only hit rock bottom but is set to redefine it soon (perhaps as early as Suzuka?). At least they now know exactly where the SF-25’s fundamental issues lie—a realization that dawned in Bahrain testing a month ago, allowing for early development work, with solutions expected imminently.”
La Repubblica’s headline was “Ferrari Sent to the Corner.” “Something doesn’t add up in the narrative of Ferrari’s black Sunday in China,” wrote Alessandra Retico. “The weight loss of Charles Leclerc’s tires due to the single pit stop mid-race—a choice made by everyone except Hamilton and the Racing Bulls—seems odd. Compared to Spa and Russell’s precedent, in Shanghai, drivers could pick up debris on the in-lap to add material for the weigh-in, a common F1 maneuver. Charles did it, but was there another miscalculation? However, the most alarming mistake is the one concerning Hamilton’s car. Finding the right setup to be fast, safe, and compliant is no trivial task—and Ferrari failed in Shanghai. A race run on the defensive, finishing as the fourth-best team on track, 61 points behind the papaya cars, with only 17 points to show for it, ranking fifth among Constructors. A full rebuild is needed—immediately. Unless there’s a deeper, fundamental issue.”
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