Another dark Formula 1 weekend: both Ferrari out in Azerbaijan GP

It looked to be another script of Barcelona first and Monaco again.

Adding the issues in Baku, the Rossa is now officially challenged by the mechanical reliability of the car, on top of needing to sort out team strategy and race management. Azerbaijan GP was not a good day for the Ferrari team.

Azerbaijan GP: Baku is another debacle

Saturday was for Charles Leclerc the 7th pole position out of 9 grand prix. What an outstanding streak. Sunday Verstappen converted the Monegasque’s pole in another victory for Red Bull.

Carlos Sainz’s engine fails by lap 9 at turn 4, yellow flag, and Ferrari gambles by boxing Leclerc and planning the undercut at the time Red Bull pitted on lap 19.

It worked great. Leclerc maintains the leadership once Verstappen lap and is on a fastest lap.

Lap 20, Leclerc’s engine fails, forced retired.

Baku becomes a paved road for Red Bull double podium.

The rest of the race is a controlled race managed by the other teams, with Red Bull getting P1 and P2 and Mercedes making a comeback to podium with Russell, followed by Hamilton, despite all the problems Mercedes faces with porpoising. Nothing left for Ferrari but a concerning bell about the car and team leadership.

Leclerc loses respectively 25 and 20 points from Verstappen and Perez. Ferrari loses 45 points in the constructor championship.

What is working right for Ferrari

The car is very competitive. Less reliable.

Surely Binotto and the team is addressing the issue, because this car is extremely competitive especially in the hands of Leclerc that every qualifying show that driver and car are a serious competitor for Championship. The only hope is to find what did not go well in Barcelona first and Baku now, trying to stop losing points and return to reduce the gap from Red Bull

The drivers are very competitive.

Leclerc continues to show incredible performances on Friday and Saturday, perfect laps, consistently. Charles is the most talented driver I have ever seen in the past two decades. Consider that he is 24 years old, Ferrari have one of the biggest assets in investing in this crystal talent.

Sainz is a very good driver, his performance looked though it reaches a sort of plateau, the Spanish driver proved that he has capabilities to drive a Ferrari, he can be competitive. Not championship competitive.

What needs to improve in Ferrari from Azerbaijan GP

The Canadian Grand Prix is right this weekend, and Ferrari comes in re-dimensioned. If until Barcelona the hopes and the spirit in Ferrari mounting high, today Ferrari lives a different reality.

It is a reality made of many notes to take into accountability. Engine, Team, Leadership.

In this order, of course, because the car needs to bring all the good work made in the weekend into Sunday, and get points. Ferrari fans must be digesting bitterly the fact that the car is dominating, and never returns points.

When things go right with the car, Ferrari had poor team strategy. Beginning the Canadian Grand Prix, Ferrari enters in with a bigger point gap from Red Bull. No team misguided choices can be allowed.

Guidance is providing drivers the proper support to recover points. Mind that Red Bull is now entering a stage of heavy competition within their drivers, with Checo Perez admitting that he wants to be a championship competitor, and not only the second in line at Verstappen’s services.

Ferrari with bringing pecking orders in the box, can make team working a positive asset.

Leadership is at stake. When it comes to leadership, in Formula 1 the scope is on the role of the team principals. Their influence in managing drivers, their reaction time to opponent’s move. Ferrari needs that quick response, that decisiveness that won’t cost any other seconds of the race, as for any seconds lost in decision making, Ferrari loses points in the championship.

Focus goes now to Canada, this weekend.The prancing horse is surely hungry for redemption!