1996 Formula 1 World Champion Damon Hill believes Ferrari are in need of a “firm hand” to steer the Maranello ship in the right direction, following a shocking start to 2023.
Having made so much progress last season in their fight against Red Bull, the Maranello-based team have failed to build on from 2022; instead, they’ve taken several steps backwards.
After eight races the Italians find themselves fourth in the Constructors’ Championship and 199 points behind Red Bull.
To add to their woes, Ferrari have claimed just one podium so far this season, courtesy of Charles Leclerc at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
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Had it not been for a bout of miscommunication at the Canadian Grand Prix last weekend, then Leclerc would’ve more likely than not claimed the team’s second podium of the year.
Leclerc lost his cool with Ferrari not for the first time this season at the end of Q2 last Saturday, following his shock elimination from qualifying.
The Monegasque failed to make Q3 for the second Grand Prix in a row, with his car having not been the problem this time.
Leclerc’s issue was with his tyres or more specifically, the compound he was on.
The Circuit de Gilles-Villeneuve had been wet ahead of the session following earlier rain; however, by Q2 a dry-line was present.
As a result, several drivers went out on the Soft compound, but not Leclerc.
Leclerc was instructed by the team to set a banker lap on the Intermediates, despite him having asked for Softs.
This cost him a place in the top 10, as when Leclerc was eventually put onto the Softs, the rain started to fall again.
What makes the situation even more frustrating is that Leclerc boasted some of the best race pace on Sunday, which saw him recover to fourth ahead of Carlos Sainz in fifth.
Had he made it to Q3 then Leclerc would’ve been a real contender for victory, let alone a top-five finish.
Sainz too had a communication breakdown with the team, who failed to inform the Spaniard several times that he had drivers approaching him quickly.
Several times he found himself cruising on the racing line, resulting in him impeding other drivers.
He received a three-place grid penalty for impeding during qualifying, something which could’ve so easily been avoided.
There is seemingly so much for team principal Frederic Vasseur to get on top of, with the situation appearing to be a bit of a mess.
Hill thinks the likes of Ross Brawn or Jean Todt are needed to get Ferrari back in order and save them from causing their own demise.
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“They need to have a good, long, hard look at themselves, or someone does,” Hill said.
“It just seems this is the malaise that they perennially suffer from. It’s like, you’re not sure who’s really in charge there.
“It’s such a potent force in the sport, it needs the firm hand of someone like a Ross Brawn or a Jean Todt to grab it and get everyone to march with them.”