Aug.1 - Insiders wondered if a couple of Ferrari heads might be on the chopping block over Formula 1's August break following another clear strategy blunder.

Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher said the decision to put Charles Leclerc on the hard tyre for his final stint of the Hungarian GP was "incomprehensible".

"I don't think Red Bull expected help like that," he told Sky Deutschland.

Even Leclerc was left scratching his head about how arguably the fastest car could so obviously be put on the wrong stratgegy.

"The hard tyre killed us," said the Ferrari driver.

"We have to get better as a team and understand what we did wrong, because if it happens again, we don't have a chance."

However, while the hard tyre looked like a bizarre choice to many, it emerges that Ferrari's race strategy had actually been determined much earlier.

"Ferrari had no option but the hard tyre," Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said.

"They only had hard and soft tyres left, and it was too early to put him on softs. Ferrari already made the mistake on Friday by not keeping a set of mediums in hand."

Runaway championship leader Max Verstappen defended Ferrari's error, but at the same time lauded Red Bull's own strategy chief - Hannah Schmitz - for always remaining "insanely calm".

"It's incredibly important if you want to fight for a championship," he said.

Verstappen's father Jos agrees, telling De Telegraaf: "Our decisions aren't always right, but yes, our mistakes are fewer.

"That is why we are 80 points ahead."

Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto admitted having to use the hard tyre was "clearly not the right decision".

"We had the right strategy in France, also Austria, so we're usually right. Sometimes we make mistakes, but others make them too."

However, there is little doubt that continuing strategy errors will cost the Maranello team its first drivers' title since 2007.

Might Ferrari need to look at replacing strategy boss Inaki Rueda?

"Not only Inaki but the entire team is great and I'm fully supporting them," Binotto insisted. "I think when our opponents make mistakes, it does not attract so much attention.

"So I support everyone in the team completely for doing a great job on balance."

According to Ralf Schumacher, however, Binotto's role as team principal might start to become questioned over time in the context of repeated errors.

"I see two people's jobs in danger," he said. "Daniel (Ricciardo) and also Mattia.

"When you get the gift of being able to go for the world championship with Ferrari and throw it away so carelessly, it should become difficult for you.

"So I see him in danger during the summer break. There are too many little things that are going wrong and too many technical problems."


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13 F1 Fan comments on “Will heads roll at Ferrari F1 team after latest strategy error?

  1. smokey

    Ferrari's strategy boss Inaki Rueda needs to be replaced by someone with some foresight. Having kept no medium compound tyres for race day is inexcusable! Mattia also needs to consider his future when such an elementary mistake was made under his nose. When will Ferrari ever learn? Mistake after mistake after mistake, season after season after season! They manage to attract the good drivers, then let them down by erroneous pit wall determinations.

    Reply
    • Donalf

      It's a shame for ferrari when they have a good car & two good drivers being controlled by headless chickens everyone seems to be embarrassed for them & even chuckleling at their stratagy problems.

      Reply
  2. Teresa Bailey

    What were they thinking when they put Leclerc on hard tires and pitted him early? Sainz also got soft tires too early to be effective at the final stint. Ferrari has thrown away the points and championship. You can’t keep handicapping your great young drivers. Nothing but mistakes. If Red Bull or Mercedes had that car they’d be leading the championship by many points. Time to at least get rid of Inaki Rueda. Hire a great strategy man from another team.

    Reply
    • Donalf

      IMO, and I can feel it in my blood, CL will make a transition TO RB next year & tequila swigging sergie will go to alpine & lando will go to ferrari & magnison to mclaren leaving a place for de_veres.

      Reply
      • smokey

        Dream on!
        I know it's the start of the silly season, however, you seem to have overlooked the fact that those drivers have existing contracts, and while Fernando has departed, there is no vacancy at Alpine with their current commitment to 2020 F3 Champion and 2021 F2 Champion Oscar Piastri. A vacancy to accommodate De Vries may occur at Williams if Latifi is given the flick!

        Reply
  3. CanadianEh

    "Sometimes we make mistakes, but others make them too." Well, everyone else had at least one, many had two, set(s) of Mediums for the race. That was no mistake. Burning up all the Mediums and limiting choices come race day is a fundamental - axiomatic - error in judgement.

    Reply
  4. Jax

    You know, I've had an epiphany.
    Ferrari is cursed. And it's maybe because of their cheating days with the cheater in Chief, Schumi.

    In chronological order:
    Kimi won a title mostly due to LH's rookie mistake in his debut year, but career went down the toilet from there.
    Massa almost died from a titanium spring to the head. A valve spring for Christ's sake! Career also flushed.
    Alonso....no title.
    Vettel....no title.
    Suffered with performance sanctions for cheating....AGAIN!
    And just just when you thought it was over as they've paid their atonement dues, boom....the curse continues.
    No wonder LH decided against joining them. And it seems Lucky Champ with his RB contract is avoiding them like a plague.

    Every F1 driver wants to race for the Prancing Horse they say huh? Well that slogan is dead. I have a new one to pitch to them. 'Ferrari. The team where champions go to die....figuratively'. 😄

    Reply
  5. shroppyfly

    Takes an idiot not to know the difference between a valve spring and a heave spring, material wise it was steel, no one powder coats titanium black, as for career down the toilet he did better at williams 14/15 than his last 2yrs yrs at Ferrari , now as I said only an idiot would simple errors, Luckily for us .

    Reply
    • Jax

      "McLarens long running practice of using large diameter hollow Titanium heave spring hides the detail of the device, making its existence hard to spot."
      There were no cost caps during that period, so common sense should dictate that certain parts could be made out of titanium for strength and also weight saving.
      Now why wouldn't one coat their suspension springs so as to not show which material it was made out of for sure? 🤔
      And the word valve was clearly a typo as no engine blew up in front of Massa....you pedantic parasitic little simpleton. Lol
      I warned you to not to reply to me as you'll always make an ass of yourself. But your intransigent brain can't help it. Much to my amusement. Lol smh

      Reply
      • CanadianEh

        Jax, careful there, mate. Your multiple concussions are showing, and as the psychologist said: "His condition will not improve with age." Best you stop confirming what we already know.

        Reply
  6. Shroppyfly

    Yes as I said Idiot, it was Brawn and if they all used it what's to hide lol steel or titanium not to hard a choice except for a team on a budget as Brawn were, but yes I'm sure the MCl spies were all over it... what a Bell..

    typos yeah yeah course Valves@Maclaren lol

    Reply

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