The first part of the season at home Ferrari it ended in a bit of a bad mood. The victories at Silverstone and Austria had rekindled the hopes of getting back into the game in the World Cup. However, these hopes have come a long way. Two more defeats were enough, perhaps the heaviest ones because they arrived at a time when everything seemed to be smiling for the Reds. A Ferrari that tiptoed to the Circus at the beginning of the year to recover at least a few victories. That “beast”, as nicknamed by Leclerc, the F1-75 immediately clarified the hierarchies, finding a worthy rival only in the RB18. A perfect scenario, fighting only a potential opponent, taking advantage of the deficit paid by the unbeatable Mercedes, intent on picking up the pieces after a months-long battle and officially decided only in Abu Dhabi.
We had to win again
Thinking back to where Ferrari was before and where it is now, however, one cannot speak of defeat. He repeated it a lot too Mattia binotto, who initially, rather than putting his hands on the fire with the risk of getting burned, preferred to keep them in his pocket, playing defense. "The world championship is another thing, we aim to be competitive.” In reality, the F1-75 proved to be worthy of the World Championship, the team a little less so. Whether it's a lack of charisma, ambition, inexperience or the fault of rather loosely set goals, we don't know. Probably a mix of everything we have listed. Winning races or winning a World Cup are two totally different goals. Even Mercedes could now aspire to win a race given how things are going.
Do Charles and Binotto have the same goals?
Charles Leclerc does not hide that he still hopes for the title, at least until mathematics gives the verdict. But there have been too many mistakes, even on his part, which he has never hidden, for it to happen. At the moment the World Cup deserves it Max Verstappen, which it also has the advantage of having a team that has the same goal: to win and make it win. Speaking instead of goals at Ferrari, let's say they go in different directions. Inevitable that at a certain point of the season they converge, based on the emergence of events. But Ferrari had plenty of time to decide who and what to bet on, as well as the resources to do so, despite the problems of reliability dictated by the thrust on the Superfast engine.
"When you start the season, It's natural to set goals. But as a driver, you obviously have to be optimistic. I understand Mattia, who must be realistic and rational when he speaks, but I have some of my own personal goals – Leclerc told the BBC. “In all the F1 seasons I have completed I assure you they weren't always realistic, but that's my way of approaching things. In 2020 or 2021, even if the car was not at this level, I always thought I could win races and I did everything to achieve this. Winning is what motivates me from morning till night. But I clearly understand Mattia's goals.“ With the ifs and buts we get nowhere but we cannot deny that the starting point, with the inconsistencies in the objectives, was already wrong.
Leclerc loves Ferrari, perhaps too much
Winning a World Championship in Ferrari is the dream of almost all the drivers in the recent and past history of the Circus. But for Charles, extremely devoted to the Reds, doing so would represent something even greater. “Ferrari is amazing, it's a dream come true for me. I was born in Monaco, where F1 is very important, and when I watched the races, I followed the red cars, even before I knew their name was Scuderia Ferrari. I do not know why. I then spent all my years in karting in Italy and there everyone talks about Ferrari. Being part of the team has always been a dream for me. I then always had a special bond with the Italians, because running there since I was a kid has led me to get to know them very well. There is something special about Ferrari and I feel very close to the team and I love having this kind of connection with them."
Source statements: FormulaPassion
