In past years, many fans would have paid gold to be disappointed by a second and third place for the two reds, yet there is some regret on this Sunday under the Florida sun.
Who followed the discussions before the Grand Prix he could imagine what the scenario might have been at the first corner; in fact, on Friday and Saturday it had been noticed how, being a brand new track, the asphalt off the ideal trajectory did not have an optimum grip, On the contrary. This was to the detriment of Sainz, which would start from the dirty side. Despite this, however, the Spaniard didn't make a bad start, he just lacked the 'killer' instinct to close Verstappen and try to delay overtaking – which is not easy as it would have risked rear-ending his teammate – because he would probably have arrived not so long after as the Red Bullwith rubber media, had another step.
La Ferrari manages to bring home a according to e third place that is good for both manufacturers ranking and pilots, aware of having maximized what could be done against a Red Bull which according to the team principal Mattia binotto has approximately two tenths per lap more speed than the reds.
Tire management: uncertain variable
In the initial stage with the tires medium le Ferrari they paid a lot Red Bull, Leclerc in fact he had complained on the radio saying that his F1-75 it was difficult to drive; with the tough mounted in the second part of the tender, however, the margins were very small. If there's anything certain in this championship, it's that at the slightest change of variable the values in the field can be drastically overturned, and today we had yet another confirmation. What makes the fans turn up their noses, however, is that after the first three races of the season the data management; with your shape of urethane seemed to be the strong point of the team Maranello, yet in this, both a Imola that Miami, the Scuderia has paid off against an opponent who is certainly in better shape, also helped by the developments already made.
The opacity of the pit stops
Another component that was missing today was that of pit stop, especially if you consider that in the first rounds the mechanics of the red car seemed to have gnawed away those tenths too characteristic of previous years, also thanks to hundreds of tire changes training ahead of the championship. Leclerc he almost lost a second da Verstappen, Ea Sainz it didn't get better: more than five seconds of stops which put him in a complicated position with respect to Perez, who managed to reduce the gap after a drop in power which made it difficult for him to conquer the lowest step of the podium, also thanks to an impeccable defense by the Spaniard.
Leclerc: the wisdom of being satisfied.
In the final laps, the Monegasque was very close to Verstappen, so as to remain under the second col DRS for several rounds. The top speed of the Red Bull however, as known, it is higher than that of the red, and this forced it Leclerc having to settle for and take home a according to place, without falling into frustration, trying to make up for what the vehicle lacks with talent, as happened two Sundays ago. Imola it was a crucial lesson for Leclerc: making a mistake and giving up an assured podium, and moreover in front of his own people, was certainly a lesson that the driver of the Ferrari will not forget, fortunately, also because if you want to beat a lion like Max Verstappen, which makes very few mistakes, you also need to learn to be satisfied when you just can't do more, e Charles today he did it demonstrating wisdom and maturity.
Developments: Barcelona is starting to get serious
Of course it is not easy to settle for a second and third place, but if you think that the F1-75 it is almost the same car brought to the pre-season tests, then the prospects become encouraging. Well time to pack up and head back in Old World has arrived, and as anticipated by Mattia binotto, the red of Maranello she will be dressed in her first pack of upgrade significant, which the Red Bull has already done in various appointments but with reduced development packages, except the one brought to the test in Bahrain, With whom Adrian Newey he 'kindly gifted' approx half a second to the RB18.
So here we are, in Europe the first aces begin to drop, and if in the other years that of the developments had been a weak point of the red, the new ones upgrade with structures di Maranello the technicians of the team give us hope. The situation will probably be pulled to the end, and the engineers Ferrari they will have to carry on the excellent work done in preparation and start of this year, avoiding distractions and limiting mistakes, also aware of having to risk more than usual, something they are already doing in the box next to them and will continue to do.
