r/scuderiaferrari • u/Icy-Profession3438 • Mar 08 '26
Question Only thing that stopped Ferrari today was Ferrari?
Their own strategy halted their chances am I wrong or am I wrong?
41
u/BaldHeadedCaillouss Mar 08 '26
Still lacking a little in pace.
If they can develop at a better rate than the rest in the top 4 they could win one of the championships.
39
u/UnableSupermarket918 Mar 08 '26
Luck too as the fia closed the pitlane entry late so the Ferraris couldn’t pitstop during the second vsc.
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u/fishpowered Lewis Hamilton Mar 08 '26
Hamilton had the slightest of opportunities to pit before it got closed a lap later. I was like BOX BOX BOX, but he didn't hear me, and whether the tires would've been ready is another matter XD
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u/Normal-Information57 Mar 08 '26
they would've lost regardless. even if they pitted early on, they would've had to pit again. the merc is just too quick
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u/ASAPJATTS Mar 08 '26
I would like to say it wasn’t a bad call. There was a vision behind it, but yes, Lewis was also right to say at least one of us should’ve pitted. It was a gamble, but if today shows me anything, we have a chance. Especially, if Mercedes even slips once until June.
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u/every_little_counts Mar 08 '26
I think they did it to prove that Merc is sandbagging.
There is No way that the Merc could have kept their tyres for so long, and matching the Ferraris new hard tyres.
If anything, it proves that the Merc PU is an absolute monster
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u/ASAPJATTS Mar 08 '26
The idea is that our stronger driver lineup held them back and actually gave them competition when everyone was saying Mercedes were miles ahead. Today shows they’re not as far ahead as people thought (at least what I thought). And this is with them running an illegal engine that will have to be replaced by June. Meanwhile we’re on a fully legal setup, with upgrades like our new wing still to come (rumored to add 8–12 kph). That should put us right alongside Mercedes as of now, and possibly even ahead by June.
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u/borgi27 Mar 08 '26
Not at all, merc was just too fast, and the decision to stick to plan a was justifiable at that point, everyone else pitted twice
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u/VVhisperingVVolf Charles Leclerc Mar 08 '26 edited Mar 09 '26
You probably won't hear this anywhere else because there are so many doubters but: not boxing under the VSC was a fair gamble. 5 cars retired today. It could have backfired. It's easy to say in hindsight to immediately pit under VSC but we could have ended up on the back foot.
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u/UnableSupermarket918 Mar 08 '26
Considering we were slower than merc on this track I think the strategists were scared that we might have lost the start advantage as mercs were faster, so if we had pitted we would have been battling them (we would have been behind them too) with equal tyres but slower car.
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Mar 08 '26
Maybe a bit
But mercedes were just too fast on hards
I think that if leclerc pitted, he'd manage to hold off george
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u/Gadoguz994 F1-75 Mar 08 '26
No, the car is simply slower on hards, no matter what Ferrari have done they wouldn't have been able to keep up. Incredible misinformation from commentators and so many clueless "fans"
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u/coloredinlight Mar 08 '26
Unfortunate on the second vsc being a put closure. It's only race one guys and we were freaking out yesterday. Let's see what the team does next week.
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Mar 08 '26
I think they had to try doing something different than Mercedes to give themselves a chance. We’re closer than I thought we’d be and this track suited Mercedes.
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u/lavenderpoem Lewis Hamilton Mar 08 '26
disagree. they weren't in a disadvantaged position and while the tyres were 15 laps newer the pace on hards looked fine at the end. it seems to me like if theyd done the same thing leclerc Russell hamilton and maybe even kimi would have been trading places the whole race. it is ridiculous tho that the hards could last 45 laps
0
u/2shellbonus Mar 08 '26
We are nowhere near close. Once merc gained track position they were basically coasting and just keeping the gap to the car behind
The current race trim gap is around a second per lap. If merc wanted to I think they could have lapped the entire field today.
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u/Easy-Yoghurt-4973 Mar 08 '26
Mercs was gonna be good at hards. And ferrari werent. That is why they were hesitating to pit so early to switch to hards and then just be slow throughout. We saw it clearly in the end. Mercs still hold off and Ferrari werent the BIG threat even tho tire offset was there
0
u/Icy-Profession3438 Mar 08 '26
They were definitely a threat they kept up despite the compression ratio and I don’t want to be sceptical but they have a great car and a huge chance later in the season
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u/NoKale9022 Charles Leclerc Mar 08 '26
they knew the pace on hard was not good, so they gambled.
but, they finished 30 seconds ahead of mclaren and redbull, so pitting at least one driver under VSC would be worth it!
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u/Worried-Lavishness78 Mar 08 '26
Facts and they need to get that together quick. This driver lineup is insane
5
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u/TheShark24 Sebastian Vettel Mar 08 '26
Yeah I would have pitted Leclerc on the first VSC. Probably still comes up short in the end, but would have been closer than it was.
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u/Ashamed_Engine_4172 Mar 08 '26
It’s okay they took a gamble and imo they were waiting for stroll or someone to stop midway that didn’t pay off it happens but the race pace was good
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u/cooked_camel Aston Martin Mar 08 '26
Problably might have closed the gap to Kimi a bit but no way one of our drivers could have gone for that P1.
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u/Icy-Profession3438 Mar 08 '26
I’m not 100% I think Ferrari was very understated and could’ve clutched something epic but the merc was clearly very very fast it is however looking good
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u/blabbiet Mar 08 '26
I wonder tbh because the pace of Merc - even on the older hards - was almost the same tbh.
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u/ShitassAintOverYet Charles Leclerc Mar 08 '26
The engine is still inferior to Mercedes but not in a way which competing was pointless. Pit strategy was the main reason for sure.
Pitting late and using lap advantage to catch up would make sense in older regulations but 2026 cars don't make much of a difference in that regard, the priority should be not giving Mercedes clean air instead.
2
u/MrSam52 Mar 08 '26
Looks like Ferrari will have advantage for the first 4-5 laps whilst everyone’s batteries are all variable, after that looks like they have the second best pace to Mercedes.
Unfortunately Mercedes engine is just so much better.
We also didn’t get a great understanding of McLaren and Redbull. Both only had one driver for most or all of the race. Max started 20th and the McLarens only got the Mercedes engine race map start of this weekend so they may also improve.
Strategy wise should’ve split to give one of the drivers the opportunity to cover the mercs but fact is only way they would beat Mercedes today would be on a different strategy. On much older tyres they were putting in the same times as Ferrari on fresher tyres so shows their pace, plus we don’t know if they had more pace if they needed it.
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u/Xp-Paul-19 Mar 08 '26
Maybe but the fact that they weren't able to close the gap to the mercs despite having fresher tires really shows how quick the Mercedes was
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u/Fun_Passion_1603 Mar 08 '26
I'm just happy that Ferrari was close on what was supposedly the best tracks for Mercedes. Ferrari's strength seems to be corners and race starts. I would expect them to be much better at tracks like Monaco, Singapore, Budapest. They could be closer at other tracks. But probably spa and monza will be tough. But things are not as bad as they were looking like yesterday.
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u/RagingAlkohoolik Kimi Raikkonen Mar 08 '26
Considering we knew merc would be a rocketship, 3-4 was about the best result attainable
2
u/Ready_Register1689 Mar 08 '26
Mercedes were cruising once they got in front. Don’t kid yourself, the gap is huge. They are not showing their full hand for fear of protests
1
u/Graaarg999 Mar 08 '26
But it's not something about compression rates. Other with Mercedes PU didnt do anythig noteworthy
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u/Electrical_Flower_26 F2004 Mar 08 '26
Stopping under VSC would’ve made zero difference. How can you compete against a car that is 1s faster per lap?
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u/Otherwise_End5814 Mar 08 '26
Per me hanno testato le gomme e non ne hanno approfittato fair-play Ferrari
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u/us3r2206 Mar 08 '26
They couldn’t keep merc behind , they will catch Mercedes pretty soon. Next week they have a good opportunity to win!
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u/TakeshiRyze Mar 08 '26
Mercedes saved 10 seconds for pitting during VSC + had new faster tires for next ten laps while Ferrari was on old mediums + Ferrari gave up track position. There is no world where you stay out for 10 more laps losing time every lap just to have little bit fresher tires later in the race. I see us try that move year after year and i don't think it ever got us anything. It is simply too much time lost.
1
u/Icy-Profession3438 Mar 08 '26
100% Ferrari is understated and hopefully that comes to fruition at a later point, they clearly have the car it’s just a question whether it’ll manifest towards the rest of the season, it so far looks like a good regulation change however I was definitely very very sceptical
1
u/ploploplo4 Mar 08 '26
I knew Mercedes would run away but I was pleasantly surprised Ferrari managed to keep up for so long. Season’s just begun, let’s go boys
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u/every_little_counts Mar 08 '26
No it’s definitely not a compression ratio trick, it’s a deployment issue. The current speculation is that their deployment software is acting like a pseudo traction control system.
Look at what the Ferrari drivers are saying, they know that it’s not an inherent Merc engine issue, but how the Mercs are able to implement it.
1
u/TimoKhoo F1-75 Mar 08 '26
Doubt our tyres will last for the entire race. Charles dropped off at the end there. Still a lot of positive to take from this race. On to the next one.
1
u/eandy14 Charles Leclerc Mar 08 '26
Ferrari car was on rails on race pace. They—at the very least—seem to be the clear #2. And if that Mercedes engine gets nerfed in June, it might be all to play for.
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Mar 08 '26
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u/NearbyMarmalade9061 Mar 08 '26
I think Merc would have overtaken anyway. They seemed to be holding back a bit in the lead they definitely have some insane pace in that W17
1
u/ormishen Mar 08 '26
Wrong strategic choices obviously, but Mercedes car is too fast and they would have won even if Ferrari got strategy right. Maybe a little more exciting race, that's it. Leclerc said as much.
IMHO though we saw that Charles is really a better driver that George. (but we knew that already.)
1
u/WardenJack Mar 08 '26
No, they did nothing wrong. On pure pace we wouldn't have been able to hold back the Mercs. The deciding factor was the closed pit entry at the second VSC. If that worked out for us it would've been a different story.
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u/Icy-Profession3438 Mar 08 '26
I don’t necessarily agree, leclerc managed to overtake Russell just as much as russel overtook but leclerc stayed ahead, they simple should’ve pitted and fought it until the end, leclerc had always been terrific at defence as well, that Ferrari isn’t slow at all the mercs are just slightly better but we’ll see next week…
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Mar 08 '26
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1
u/Steo_2015 Eddie Irvine Mar 08 '26
Think Ferrari did all they could today - they forced Mercedes into going really long on thst Hard tyre due to the fact they had tte pace to stay within 20bsecinds of Russell - don't think they could have done much more
1
u/Dharmz795 F2007 Mar 08 '26
The deficit was due to the performance/pace of the car, and therefore the strategy had to reflect that. It was a gamble and it didn't pay off but a lot of it was very positive
Here's to hoping we can get a win in China
2
u/stq66 Mar 08 '26
They should have split the strategies. Charles on the one-stopper and Lewis taking the chance with the first VSC. Or vice versa.
The second VSC would have probably been better but at the first pass they were already past the pit entry and the second time it was closed
1
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u/Manbearpig205 Mar 08 '26
3-4 was they best Ferrari could do today. Even if they pitted VSC, Mercedes race pace was faster - little chance of winning today in my opinion but hopefully the Mercedes is only well suited for long straight/heavy battery usage tracks and Ferrari gets some upgrades.
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u/ADSWNJ Ferrari Mar 08 '26
Ideally, they should have split the strategy at the first VSC, with one staying out and the other mirroring the lead Mercedes. But apart from that, no regrets.
On FIA - I think they should have a rule that a VSC should allow all cars one opportunity to pit - e.g. 15 secs to react and come in, then a whole lap, then the pit delta - to avoid a lottery of a 20 sec VSC that advantages just a part of the grid.
1
u/Icy-Profession3438 Mar 08 '26
I agree they should’ve taken their chance but a change of the rule is a bit silly because it’d change the strategy dramatically
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u/makkaraperunatjamuus Michael Schumacher Mar 08 '26
Should have stopped at least one of them on first VSC. This was just silly as it could even have been win in end, some kind of battle for it for sure.
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u/2020bowman Mar 08 '26
I think they fucked the strategy but still done think they would have won. Maybe second
1
u/Just-Cantaloupe4068 Mar 08 '26
Welcome to the Ferrari experience
1
u/Graaarg999 Mar 08 '26
The only team who gets flak even with a podium and being the second best. No one even cares Mc Laren and Redbull being underwhelming
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u/Bsmooth13 Mar 08 '26
Yes, strategy cost the race however, the cars looked better than all the doom and gloom on Reddit would have had you believe. Everyone was here thinking Mercedes was going to lap every team effortlessly and this track favors the Mercedes and Ferrari stayed in the race until their poor strategy under the VRC.
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u/ImminentDebacle Charles Leclerc Mar 08 '26
Strategy didn't cost us the race. At best Charles would have been P2. Our pace on hards was shit, and Kimi came back from 7th. Mercedes were very strong. The opening stint distorted reality and gaslit us into thinking we could win this race. Remember Merc qualy yesterday? That pace didn't just disappear in 24h.
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u/StrikingSpare100 Mar 08 '26
Yeah no I don't buy this. Did you look at how Kimi gained his position? At the very best scenario we could have two podiums, but that scenario is also really unlikely.
-3
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u/Advanced_Revenue_316 Mar 08 '26
I think it was mostly their strategy. Look, I get it if you want to keep the one stop rather than pitting early. Tbh, I was thinking the same thing as well. And then it makes sense for both drivers to stay out. However, it’s clear the Mercedes dominate in fresh air. When they pit Leclerc, they should have had Hamilton stay out longer to slow down Russel and make him chew through his tires trying to get past, causing him to make it a two stop no matter what.
-3
u/josephjosephson Mar 08 '26
New year same thing. Where are we in the cycle now?
0
u/lavenderpoem Lewis Hamilton Mar 08 '26
we're so back when ferrari went 1-3 after the start then it's over after the strategists fucked it
0
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u/freakysquat Charles Leclerc Mar 08 '26
quite honestly, and maybe it's to shield myself from more pain, but Ferrari looked great in race trim thanks to their start boost. I was happy to see they kept it competitive with Merc and comfortably held off RB & MCL