By now, it has become a true weekend ritual. Once again, at the conclusion of the Australian GP, Helmut Marko delivered a sharp jab at Ferrari’s strategy, which left the team defeated in the first race of the year.
The Maranello squad heads to China with many doubts about the SF-25 and only five points in the standings. Their haul could have been greater if the pit wall had taken a few more risks with strategy. Of course, commenting after the fact from the comfort of a couch is always easier, but watching live, it felt like Ferrari could have dared a bit more.
In the late-race chaos triggered by the return of rain at Albert Park, both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc pitted later than their rivals. This decision forced the two Ferrari drivers to rejoin at the back of the grid, with a final push allowing them to salvage some points.
With both cars running close together, fans would have preferred that at least one of them pitted earlier, giving Ferrari a chance to fight for more than just eighth and tenth place.
The Good Old Helmut’s Jab Arrives
After the season opener, Helmut Marko wasted no time taking a swipe at Frederic Vasseur’s Ferrari. *”We are satisfied with Max’s second place given the uncertain conditions and our high tire degradation. Perhaps we could have called Verstappen into the pits one lap earlier. Even in that case, it would have been difficult to fight for the win,”* said Red Bull’s senior advisor.
“In the end, the decision we made was still the right one. At least we didn’t wait as long as Ferrari,” Helmut Marko added.
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