Ferrari has a Red Goddess again. It only took one race in the 2022 season to catapult the Scuderia, which slipped into midfield years ago, back to the top. Can the traditional racing team fight for the title again?
910 days. 910 long days. That’s how long the Ferrari racing team and the fans of the Reds had to wait for a Grand Prix triumph. Ironically, Sebastian Vettel, who had left the Scuderia two years ago without a title and sobered, had brought in the last success. On September 22, 2019, he raced to victory in Singapore. That day was also the last double victory of the Italians. At that time, upstart Charles Leclerc came in second. Two and a half years later, this Leclerc ended the bitter dry spell.
The Monegasse was already considered a huge talent and possibly a future world champion. Vettel finally bit his teeth off the talent. The problem: So far, Leclerc has had little title-ready material with which to compete for the points. The SF90, SF1000 and SF21 were too bad.
Ferrari is currently the strongest force in Formula 1
That could change in 2022. The F1-75 has the potential to make the hearts of the Tifosi beat faster and regularly lift the two Ferrari drivers onto the podium. The Reds were among the best at implementing the new technical regulations with the new aerodynamic specifications. The reliability fits, the new engine hums. Haas team boss Günther Steiner recently described the Ferrari engine as the strongest in the field.
That was already indicated in the tests in Barcelona and Bahrain. When it comes to speed, Ferrari couldn’t beat anyone this weekend in Bahrain – neither Mercedes nor Red Bull. That was evident right from the start on Sunday. The 24-year-old was able to defend his lead against World Champion Max Verstapen and his RB18. Even in the tight wheel-to-wheel duels on laps 17 to 19, Leclerc kept coming back. At the restart on lap 50 he was also superior to the “bulls”.
So Leclerc rolled to historic victory. The first of the 2022 season, with more to come. “That’s exactly how we should start this season. On one and two, baby! Mamma Mia!” Leclerc radioed from his racer, while the traditional fireworks went off all around him. Shortly afterwards there was a celebration party at the award ceremony. And the Ferrari mechanics sang along with the Italian national anthem so fervently that even the kickers of the “Squadra Azzurra” would be jealous.
Conclusion: the pace is right. And especially the atmosphere.
“The work paid off”
“I’m so happy. The last two years have been so difficult for the team,” Leclerc said in the interview with the winner. “Everyone did an incredible job and put this car in front of us. One-two with Carlos – we couldn’t have hoped for more. Thanks to everyone.”
The second Ferrari man in particular benefited from the Verstappen exit shortly before the end of the race. Carlos Sainz jumped to second and made the double victory perfect. The Spaniard paid tribute to his stablemate. “Congratulations to Charles. Ferrari is back. Where the team should have been for the past two years. The work has paid off.”
Sainz waves contract extension
Both Sainz and Mattia Binotto admitted that they also had some racing luck. The Ferrari capo, who had to take a lot of criticism in the past two years, was “happy for the team”. “They put so much work into the car for so long.”
The car was successfully tinkered with in Maranello for 2022, and a contract extension with Sainz is currently being worked on. Its working paper expires at the end of 2022. Binotto makes no secret of the fact that one would like to rely on the Spaniard in the long term. “Our goal is to stay together.”
So Ferrari had to wait two and a half years for their first win in a race. But there is another outstanding issue. One that is even more important. The Scuderia’s last world championship title is much further back – namely 5,264 days.