Formula 1 racing team Ferrari is in the pillory after another strategy chaos. After the British Grand Prix, team boss Mattia Binotto has to defend himself against harsh criticism.
Charles Leclerc is fighting the Red Bull duo Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez for the world title this year – and yet Scuderia Ferrari was unable to lead their top driver to race victory at Silverstone.
Because: Basically, the victory of the Monegasque was already mapped out. Ferrari should have just ordered Leclerc into the pits shortly before the end of the safety car phase and fitted them with new soft tires. But the Italians left their number 1 driver out, in the end he only finished fourth and lost important points in the World Championship standings.
Instead, team boss Mattia Binotto only brought in Carlos Sainz, who was in the lead. The fact that Ferrari did not also call Leclerc into the pits for a double stop even amazed the competition from Red Bull. Team boss Christian Horner spoke of a “strange decision”.
Stuck: “Charles Leclerc really has to throw up”
Binotto is now receiving criticism from former Formula 1 driver Hans-Joachim Stuck. “I wonder how long Mattia Binotto will survive at Ferrari. After all, he is the boss of the race and has to be responsible for these decisions,” said the German motorsport icon at “Eurosport“. The Scuderia had already made a tactical mistake at the Monaco Grand Prix when they gambled away at Leclerc’s pit stops.
According to Stuck, who knows Formula 1 very well from his active time from 1974 to 1979, Ferrari “always had phases” in the past in which “wrong decisions” were made. “But this year it’s been tough.”
While Sainz was able to win a race in the premier class for the first time, his teammate was served. “Charles Leclerc really has to throw up. He’s really a poor pig. But that’s Ferrari,” said Hans-Joachim Stuck.