There are some certainties and a few unanswered questions. Ferrari leaves the Sakhir weekend with one of the best haul of the spherical after the untouchable McLaren. The fourth place achieved by Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton’s comeback fifth enable the Scuderia to gather useful factors in a nonetheless missing Constructors’ rating.
Then there’s the ‘podium’ concern, which is beginning to develop into an issue, because the crew nonetheless hasn’t scored a top-three end for the reason that starting of the season. On this entrance, there’s a key query: how a lot did the looks of the protection automobile on lap thirty-two value Ferrari?
Ferrari (the one high crew to take action) selected to begin the race on medium tyres. The plan was to maintain a wider window through the first stint to evaluate technique, a selection confirmed after the primary cease when each Leclerc and Hamilton fitted one other set of mediums. The second cease was deliberate for round lap forty, simply over fifteen laps from the chequered flag, however the security automobile compelled all of the vehicles into the pits on lap thirty-two.
“With out the protection automobile we may have chosen between smooth and exhausting,” Fred Vasseur defined, “however having to pit with twenty-five laps to go, the smooth was not an choice.”
Ferrari opted for the safer route, going with the hards — the least performing compound however the one which assured reaching the end line with out surprises. “The security automobile ruined our plans and perhaps that’s the place we misplaced one of the best alternatives to safe a podium,” added Fred Vasseur.
Mercedes, nevertheless, performed their wild card with Russell, going for the softs — a selection that paid off in the long run. However it’s necessary to take into consideration the second the Scuderia goes by means of, particularly after the double zero from the disqualifications in Shanghai. The crucial now’s to take advantage of each alternative. “I don’t suppose the smooth was an choice for us,” admitted Leclerc after the race, “and I don’t suppose it might have modified a lot anyway.”
Issues may need turned out in another way if Ferrari’s strategists had gone together with Leclerc’s thought of a one-stop race. “At one level it appeared like the correct option to me,” Charles defined, “however we did the correct factor, particularly contemplating the protection automobile got here out afterwards.” With a cease below the protection automobile, which might have then been utilized by direct rivals, Leclerc would have ended up a lot additional down the ultimate standings.
The 57 laps in Sakhir validated the technical updates delivered to Bahrain. “McLaren continues to be a step forward, however we fought with them within the second stint and we managed to battle with each the Mercedes and the Pink Bulls,” was Fred Vasseur’s evaluation.
Undoubtedly, Ferrari in Sakhir confirmed higher potential than Pink Bull, whereas within the direct battle with Russell’s Mercedes, one thing was nonetheless lacking. The race, nevertheless, restored morale to Hamilton, who had appeared very downcast and self-critical after qualifying.
“Right this moment we see that very small margins make an enormous distinction,” Fred Vasseur defined. “It wasn’t like that three or 4 years in the past when a five-tenths loss value you a place or a row. Right this moment with that hole, you drop six or seven locations. I appreciated the response Lewis had yesterday, I did my finest to encourage him a bit and immediately he was in nice form. We’ll restart from there forward of subsequent week. It’s nonetheless early concerning Lewis’s adaptation to the crew and the automobile — it appears he’s struggling a bit greater than Charles with rear-end stability and high-speed sections, however we’ll work to satisfy him midway, and he’ll do the identical for us.”
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