Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher criticized Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz for the several mistakes made during the Miami weekend, following the Monegasque’s double crash and the Spaniard’s speeding in the pit lane during the race. It was an extremely complicated weekend for the two Ferrari drivers, not helped by an incomprehensible SF-23 single-seater, who had to settle for anonymous fifth and seventh positions at the finish line.
Ralf Schumacher criticizes the Ferrari drivers for their mistakes in Miami
“You have to be patient, because the drivers’ mistakes are piling up,” Ralf Schumacher said in an interview for Sky Deutschland after the Miami Grand Prix – “With Carlos Sainz’s experience, he shouldn’t be getting a five-second penalty again.”
The former Formula 1 driver also expressed his thoughts on Ferrari’s race pace, with an SF23 that showed a worrying drop in pace towards the end of the race, losing ground even against Mercedes drivers.
“Not much has changed, but the alarming thing was the race pace, which was again poor. The trend is not positive,” the German commentator continued in his assessment of the Maranello team’s performance at the Miami International Autodrome in Florida, USA last weekend.
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After the excellent race weekend at the Baku City Circuit, with Charles Leclerc scoring Ferrari’s first podium finish this season, expectations before Miami were very different, considering the updates introduced for this Grand Prix. The Italian side has in fact installed a new floor on the SF-23 for the Miami Grand Prix, which, however, did not produce the expected results.
Charles Leclerc suffered particularly in the race, remaining stuck behind a surprising Kevin Magnussen, having to stay behind the Haas car for more than half the race. The Monegasque stated that he struggled a lot when the car failed to enter the correct usage window.
Carlos Sainz’s race also slowly dwindled after a promising start that saw him even attack Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard also received a five-second penalty for speeding at the entrance of the pit lane. A big error, which fortunately did not affect the final standings of the Miami Grand Prix, as Lewis Hamilton finished more than five seconds behind the Ferrari driver.
In less than two weeks, the first triple-header of the 2023 Formula One season will begin, starting with the Imola Grand Prix and then continuing with the races in Monaco and Barcelona. Even in the Imola round, Ferrari is expected to bring further developments. The hope is to quickly erase Miami and start again from the results in Baku.
