Ferrari, between hope and disappointment

The 2022 season could not have started better for Ferrari. With a one-two finish in Bahrain for the first Grand Prix, the Italian team had already set its ambitions. The last double finish was seen in 2019 with Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc in Singapore. After two disastrous seasons, the Scuderia seems to be back and can finally compete with its rivals. However, the mistakes of the drivers and the team itself can be very costly. After five Grand Prix, Ferrari only has a meager six-point lead over Red Bull, while Charles Leclerc sees his advantage over Max Verstappen decrease to just nineteen points. It is time to wake up before having any regrets.

A clear lack of top speed.

She seems far away, the time when Ferrari easily dominated Formula 1. Michael Schumacher was then reigning as the master on board his very fast red single-seater. But times change and F1 evolves as well. Since then, Red Bull and then Mercedes have taken control of the paddock and Ferrari has had a huge gap behind its main competitors. Podium finishes were therefore rare. A real blow for the tifosis. Today, the trend is reversing. While Mercedes and Red Bull were locked in a difficult battle for the titles last season, Ferrari was already preparing for 2022 with the new regulations. And the result seems to live up to expectations.

With one of the best cars on the grid, Ferrari can finally fight for the title. A title that they have been missing since 2007 with Kimi Räikkönen's victory. That says a lot. However, there are still some improvements to be made before having the perfect car. While Ferrari drivers are happy with their car, the top speed in races is not excellent. In Miami, Red Bull managed to reach 334 km/h to defend their position, which is 8km/h faster than the F1-75 on the long straight. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, on the other hand, could rely on a package with a little more downforce in sectors 1 and 2 to be faster. This is despite the change in the rear wing. Max Verstappen finished first, ahead of the two Scuderia drivers. The pressure is increasing for Ferrari with Red Bull. They will have to rely on the improvements planned for Spain. The key is to avoid making costly mistakes...

Ferrari is falling back into its old ways.

In this exciting start to the season, Ferrari shows two faces. During the first three Grand Prix races, the Italian team achieved very fast pit stops, astonishing even the fans and experts. It was as if they had learned from their mistakes. They could also rely on great form. On board the F1-75, the Monégasque driver reached the podium three times, including two first-place finishes. But since Imola, the situation has changed. As a result, Red Bull is seriously closing the gap in the standings. The distance between the two teams was considerable, especially since Max Verstappen was forced to retire twice.

Between the slow pit stops, strategic and individual mistakes, there is plenty to be disappointed about. In Italy, Charles Leclerc hit the wall while trying to overtake Sergio Perez. The Monegasque driver finished in sixth place when a podium finish was within reach. In Miami, the lack of top speed was not the only problem. Errors made throughout the weekend left the door wide open for the reigning world champion and his team, starting with Carlos Sainz. During the second free practice session, Carlos Sainz crashed into the wall all by himself. Fortunately for him, he still managed to finish the race in third position after starting second on the grid. But the Spaniard is not in as good a shape as his teammate. Forced to retire twice in five Grand Prix races (in Imola, his retirement was caused by Ricciardo's mistake), Carlos Sainz is experiencing a difficult start to the season. He is only in fifth position in the drivers' standings behind George Russell and his Mercedes. Charles Leclerc has a comfortable lead of 51 points over the Spaniard. So many crucial points have been lost in this early season, while other teams are struggling.

Planned improvements in Barcelona

Contrary to previous years, Ferrari is in a very good position. First in the driver and constructor championships, the team arrives in Barcelona with confidence. Improvements are planned for the F1-75, particularly in terms of aerodynamics. However, they will have to be careful with the budget cap. This year, the FIA limits the possibilities for all teams in terms of performance. It has been set at $140 million for this season. And in this aspect, Mattia Binotto hopes to have the advantage. "I hope that at some point Red Bull will stop developing, otherwise I wouldn't understand how they can do it," said the team director, who believes that development will be the key to victory this season.

With this budget cap, teams must choose the right time to add improvements. If Red Bull has encountered reliability issues since the first Grand Prix, the Italian team has not been spared from accidents. The engineers have been busy between the different crashes and individual mistakes. Binotto still wants to reassure for the rest of the season. "I have always said that we should wait for five races to assess the competitiveness of the car. These five races have already passed and we are leading both championships, so we should not be disappointed," he explained. The question remains whether the promised improvements will be beneficial or not. We will find out on May 22nd in Barcelona.

If the season is still long, the gap is narrowing between Ferrari and Red Bull. Now 19 points ahead of Max Verstappen in the drivers' championship, Charles Leclerc sees his rival slowly catching up. Worse, Ferrari only has a slim six-point lead over Red Bull. However, Ferrari has appeared on the podium four times, three of which were with both drivers. The situation is not alarming, but the Italian team must react quickly. And why not with a victory in Spain, in front of Carlos Sainz's home crowd.