Ferrari leaves Baku with some positive indications, but according to Matteo Bobbi, the biggest danger could now come from behind. Speaking during Sky Sport F1’s post-race coverage of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the former driver focused in particular on McLaren’s potential heading into the next rounds of the Formula 1 season.
The concern is not simply about Ferrari’s own performance. The competitive picture around the Maranello team remains extremely tight, and the balance could change considerably as Formula 1 moves onto circuits with different characteristics. The situation can also be followed through the Ferrari vs F1 Rivals statistics, which compare the Scuderia with Mercedes, McLaren, Red Bull and the rest of the grid.
Matteo Bobbi warns Ferrari about McLaren
Matteo Bobbi believes Ferrari must now pay close attention to McLaren rather than focusing solely on trying to close the gap to Mercedes. The former driver suggested that the Brackley team is currently operating at a level Ferrari cannot realistically match, while McLaren could become a much more immediate threat over the coming races.
“Ferrari has to fear McLaren and start looking behind. Mercedes, on the other hand, is at a level that does not seem reachable at the moment and, in reality, it never has been. The next circuits could favour the Papaya team, and today Ferrari did well to take advantage of the fairly obvious mistakes made by McLaren. Lando Norris had little responsibility in the second incident, but both drivers struggled with several lock-ups,” Matteo Bobbi explained.
His assessment underlines how important circuit characteristics could become in determining Ferrari’s position over the next part of the season. While the Scuderia managed to take advantage of McLaren’s problems in Baku, that situation may not necessarily be repeated at venues better suited to the Woking team’s strengths.
At the same time, Mercedes remains the more distant reference for Ferrari. The scale of that challenge was already evident during the Azerbaijan weekend, when questions emerged over whether Ferrari had taken the wrong setup direction in Baku as Mercedes opened a significant advantage.
Ferrari must maximise every opportunity against McLaren
For Ferrari, the message from Baku is therefore twofold. Mercedes may currently be too far ahead to represent the most realistic immediate target, while McLaren could become increasingly dangerous if upcoming circuits favour the characteristics of its car.
Ferrari was able to benefit from McLaren’s mistakes in Azerbaijan, but Matteo Bobbi’s warning is that the competitive order could change quickly. With both McLaren drivers experiencing several lock-ups in Baku, Ferrari made the most of the opportunity available, yet the next races could present a very different challenge.
Leave a Reply