Scuderia Ferrari impressed in the start of the 2022 Formula 1 season, with two race for Charles Leclerc and a total of five podiums scored by the Maranello team in the first three races this year, which had created hope and hype for the Ferrari fans, but since then has instead experienced a period of worrying decline in terms of results.
The performance of the F1-75 is unquestionable and has often been up to – if not superior – to that of the Red Bull RB18. The numbers, however, speak for themselves: Max Verstappen has scored five wins in the last six races and his teammate Sergio Perez has won the other one, in Monte Carlo. These results allowed Red Bull to gain a solid advantage in both championships, while the two red cars of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were slowed down mainly by reliability problems and strategic errors.
Another element that did not work well in the Maranello team was that of the pit stops. Not infrequently, in fact, there have been problematic stops in the last few races, which forced the two drivers of the Italian side to stay on the pitlane longer than expected, losing precious time. The latest example is that of the Canadian Grand Prix, when Charles Leclerc was forced to come out on track behind a group of slower cars during his recovery drive from the back row due to a problem in lifting the car with a jack.
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto admitted that pit stops are a point on which Ferrari must work. Mika Hakkinen, two-time world champion in Formula 1 and for years the main rival of Ferrari, also shares his thoughts on this matter. Speaking in a video interview for the Unibet website, the Finn emphasized the scarce habit of Ferrari mechanics to fight for top positions. A statement that may seem paradoxical, considering Ferrari’s history, but which actually makes a lot of sense considering that the last time a Ferrari car fought for the Formula 1 world title until the last Grand Prix was in 2012.
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“The mechanics are always under observation – explained Mika Hakkinen – even a single mistake can be disastrous. If they take a second longer to change a tire, they get a lot of criticism. Ferrari has a lot of good mechanics, but how many of them have ever won a title? Not many. The pressure on them is higher, as they know they could have a chance to win the championship this year. It is the task of the team leaders to keep them calm and allow them to work perfectly like robots.” – Mika Hakkinen said.
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