Miami served up yet one more bitter tablet for Ferrari followers, who as soon as once more needed to abdomen a lacklustre efficiency dressed up with post-race feedback from Frederic Vasseur that hardly mirrored actuality. “The chef,” because the Ferrari devoted have dubbed him, appears decided to maintain serving poorly ready dishes whereas persevering with to current them as connoisseur delicacies. However style—not like phrases—is trustworthy, and the target fact from the observe doesn’t lie.
Driver administration at Ferrari: the standard mess, ok for Fred Vasseur
The Workforce Principal claimed the staff’s dealing with of its drivers was “good.” But Lewis Hamilton remained caught behind Charles Leclerc for a number of laps after the pit cease, dropping round 1.5 seconds to Andrea Kimi Antonelli throughout a vital section of the race when his medium tyres had been at their greatest. The swap ought to have occurred instantly—or higher but, been a part of the race technique from the beginning. The delayed name damage each drivers’ tempo and straight affected their competitiveness within the closing phases.
Even Lewis Hamilton himself, each over staff radio and later with a cooler head, identified the flawed execution. Charles Leclerc, for his half, averted talking a lot over the radio to stop his frustration from being broadcast dwell. A lot for “all the pieces was excellent”—this was extra like groping in the dead of night whereas the stopwatch advised a really completely different story.
The automobile? SF-25, a damaged promise
Based on Fred Vasseur, Ferrari’s race tempo was consistent with Mercedes and Crimson Bull. However actuality paints one other image: greater than 57 seconds behind the winner and over 20 seconds adrift of the highest Mercedes and Crimson Bull. For about ten laps, the SF-25 appeared respectable. However the remainder of the race rapidly dispelled that phantasm. You possibly can’t decide a 57-lap race primarily based on one brief stint—particularly not within the closing laps, when others are managing tyres and gasoline.
In the meantime, Charles Leclerc continues to state that he’s extracting all the pieces he can from the automobile, and that with out actual updates, there’s no manner ahead. “We’re getting essentially the most out of it,” he retains repeating—a sentiment in stark distinction with the phrases of Ferrari’s staff principal, who insists on downplaying the difficulty and speaking about some legendary “untapped potential.”
When advertising and marketing drives the narrative
At this level, what we’re witnessing seems to be much less like a failed technical plan and extra like a rigorously crafted communications technique, the place picture issues greater than outcomes. Nobody dares admit that the venture has failed—sponsors should be reassured, and the subsequent spherical of merchandise should nonetheless be bought to loyal followers who all the time assist the purple automobiles.
However true Ferrari followers, who persist with the staff even in onerous occasions, deserve honesty—not statements that don’t have any hyperlink to the information. The parable that Ferrari is near being the second-best staff should finish. Persevering with to promote hopes which can be repeatedly shattered by details not solely fails to ship outcomes—it drives away supporters who had been misled by daring predictions and triumphant declarations made firstly of the season, when the outcomes had been nonetheless zero.
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