Ferrari has had a Formula 1 British Grand Prix that was both before and after. They won, despite being very close to giving up the win due to the absurd and predictable chaos they generate when making decisions. They are like a dog following a car. If they catch it, they don’t know where to go next.
On Sunday, Carlos Sainz became the 112th Formula 1 driver to win. The most talked about phrase was “Stop Inventing” or “Stop Inventing”. In an act of rebellion, Sainz broke free from the ‘barrichellization’ and’massisacion to which he was condemned. He disobeyed a direct command from his team asking him to give up his options in order to prioritize Charles Leclerc.
The action is real. Leclerc was not able to stop at the pits to install new tires because of circumstances. Lewis Hamilton and Sainz were able to do so. Ferrari quickly acted to help the Spaniard, who was fortunate that Esteban Ocon’s safety car had caught him at the right moment. Hamilton did the exact same thing in Hamilton’s best weekend for speed. Leclerc was second, while Hamilton finished third. The seven-time champion was behind him and the safety car was still on the track.
Inaki Rueda (head of strategy at Ferrari, referred to in a somewhat unfriendly way as “stratego”) had to make a decision. Sainz was asked, “Leave 10 cars ahead with Leclerc.” To defend his options, they ordered him to surrender a potential first win in Formula 1 because Verstappen was having mechanical issues and was now facing an ideal situation to cut points. It is difficult to believe that Rueda and the Ferrari team conspired against him.
Leclerc was using hard tires, which are much less competitive than soft tires. This was especially true when the track wasn’t hot enough to cause the red tires to become dangerous. This was obvious to all except the Ferrari wall crew. Sainz had to make a decision: bow down and obey knowing that Hamilton would be the one to beat and that he would likely end up selling himself. Leclerc is a rebel and hopes to win a victory that can calm the unpredictable waters that could lead to that decision. Leclerc gave in to his second chance and was able to finish the podium.
Although the Monegasque complain that Sainz didn’t follow the team’s orders and they didn’t take precedence in the strategy, the truth is that the Spaniard could have avoided the situation by skipping discipline.
Mattia Binotto said to Leclerc, who was in a state of anger, “You have calm down,” as soon as he got out the car. Ferrari’s leader, who is still the case, ended up biting his tongue. When his heart rate dropped, he was happy to be with his teammate. The positive atmosphere between Ferrari’s two drivers is still there, at least for now. However, the situation could change.
If Sainz becomes a worthy competitor for Leclerc, and starts fighting for podiums and fighting for wins, with the permission from a Max Verstappen, who was not fortunate (it is already a bad fortune that he is a part of an AlphaTauri team B of Red Bull which sneaks into his car and weighs it down throughout the race), then this will be a major setback for peace in the Italian team.
The effects of this will become evident as soon as the Austrian Grand Prix arrives, which is scheduled for today. Charles Leclerc asked for a “global view” of the strategy in order to understand why it didn’t work out for him. Sainz is now only 11 points behind Leclerc, who has no pressure to win his first victory. He is attentive to any changes in rhythm on the Maranello dancefloor.
