2019 Review – Ferrari: A Very Mixed Season

The 2019 season seemed to be starting on the right track, with the winter tests in Barcelona indicating a certain dominance from Ferrari. Even though the results of these tests should always be taken with a grain of salt, the SF90 seemed reliable and performant.

The Scuderia was betting this year on innovative and different aerodynamics compared to its rivals. The design of this new front wing was supposed to give Ferrari the advantage; ultimately, it was the source of the most problems for the Maranello team.

The first part of the season was difficult against a relentless Mercedes. While the Sakhir event could have kickstarted the Scuderia’s season, it ultimately ended in regrets, with technical issues for Leclerc and a mistake by Vettel. Every error made by Ferrari was turned into a success by Mercedes. Attacked, the morale and serenity of the Scuderia led to a series of poor choices, whether on the track, the pit wall, or at the factory. The Scuderia refused to acknowledge its design errors and persisted in moving in the wrong direction.

The complexity in finding the window of use for the car combined with obvious strategic errors led Ferrari to miss potential victories in the first part of the season (Bahrain, Azerbaijan, Germany).

It took the return from vacation and the Belgian Grand Prix to see a Scuderia Ferrari capable of providing a car that could drive fast and, above all, win. The weekend was nearly perfect for the team from Maranello, combining pole position, victory, and the fastest lap in the race. The following Grand Prix was therefore highly anticipated, as the Reds had to shine in front of their tifosi at home. Used to buckling under pressure, the Scuderia managed to make this Grand Prix a moment of reconciliation with their tifosi. Charles Leclerc masterfully held his first place ahead of champion Lewis Hamilton. While the Monegasque dominated the race, his German teammate lagged far behind the frontrunners after a collision with Lance Stroll. It seems that Ferrari knows how to manage its drivers, but only when there is just one driver in contention to win the Grand Prix.

The Singapore Grand Prix was one of confusion for part of the audience; victory seemed promised to a flamboyant Charles Leclerc, who had achieved a beautiful pole position. But the Scuderia decided otherwise by favoring their number one driver, Sebastian Vettel. Thanks to a strategic play during pit stops, the German driver took first place from Charles Leclerc. He would secure here his one and only victory of the season.

After these three consecutive victories, the rest of the season became complicated again for the Scuderia. It had to manage not its car but its drivers, each trying to secure the number 1 position. After attempting to impose team orders on its drivers, as in Australia, Bahrain, China, and Russia, the Scuderia management decided to let them fight on the track. This decision not to make a choice resulted in Brazil with a double retirement of its drivers due to on-track contact, while a third-place finish in the driver championship was at stake for Charles Leclerc. It was the first time in history that two Ferraris eliminated each other from a race.

Ferrari finishes the season in second place in the constructors’ championship, 235 points behind Mercedes. A well-deserved second place, as they were too weak at the start of the season against Mercedes but more reliable than their Austrian rival Red Bull Racing throughout the season.

Ferrari’s success in 2020 may result from good management of its drivers and an ability to perform throughout the year without getting sidetracked in the development of their car.