Failed mission. After the disappointment, if it can be defined as such considering the expectations, of Silverstone, another misstep has arrived at Ferrari. In Budapest, precisely at the Hungaroring, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz do not go beyond seventh and eighth place. A result, this time for real, disappointing which certifies it even more Maranello team as the fourth force on the track.
Expectations versus reality
In the month of July, of the four events out of the five in total, Ferrari surprised only in Austria. After Canada's excellent performance, another important response had arrived on the Spielberg track. The prancing horse finally seemed to have taken action the road to the ascent – also proving to be the second force on the grid. At Silverstone, a week after the Austrian GP, the first misstep has arrived which, considering the characteristics of the track, was somewhat predictable. The surprise, obviously in a negative way, however, comes from the Hungaroring. “We can hope for a pole position" - I had Frederic admitted Vasseur in an interview with Motorsport.com in the week leading up to the eleventh round of the season. Words that make the disappointment in the red team's garage even clearer after a GP that saw not only Mercedes, but also McLaren demonstrate that you have more.
Ferrari, there is still a long way to go
To date – and it is right to specify – Ferrari is the fourth force on the track. The errors are there and no one can say that they won't be there anymore, but the main problem seems to be the car itself. Slow. In Maranello there is still a lot of work needed on the SF-23, to make it competitive in pace - at least equal to Mercedes and McLaren - to be able to play for the podium. And today, such a goal seems to be very far away.
Belgium before the summer break
In Hungary both the mechanics in the garage and Leclerc made a mistake. "We need to minimize any mistakes and be able to put everything together" - has Vasseur summarized in the post-match. Now comes Belgium and the only anchor, at Ferrari, must be the same drivers who - when asked if they were demoralized – they responded with a dry: “No".
