Ferrari is experiencing a very weak start to the new season. After the opening three races, the Scuderia has only 26 points, which is even less than in 2020. The single-seater is definitely better than three years ago, but due to mistakes and reliability problems, a bunch of points slipped through Ferrari’s fingers. After the end of the Australian Grand Prix, the Italian media did not allow themselves to be swayed twice and showered the team with great criticism.
Only a few escaped it. Not only the entire Ferrari collectively received a good “slap”, but also Niels Wittich, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc personally. Even the team’s current drivers are part of a “proud tradition” and are going through something very similar to many before them, including champions such as Vettel, Schumacher, Prost or Lauda.
“Even though the punishment for Sainz was excessive, he has to look in the mirror himself. Leclerc was frustrated after qualifying and a day later his race ended at the third corner,” wrote the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
Their colleagues from La Gazzetta dello Sport did not lag behind in criticizing the riders. “Leclerc ended up in the gravel because he was too impatient. Sainz, unfortunately, messed up the restart. Until then, he was riding nicely and moving forward, he was even close behind the podium position.”
Even the lines of the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport will not be read well by Ferrari employees, including both drivers. “Ferrari is losing patience with its overly nervous drivers. Leclerc knocked himself out at the start, Sainz had a chance to get on the podium, but in the end he ruined everything himself.”
“We have to talk about mistakes, in the plural, because it wasn’t just about one mistake. It is not for nothing that Ferrari has only 26 points. Leclerc was upset and better calm down. Of course, Ferrari won’t help by driving slowly, but such behavior will only make things worse.”
“Ferrari would have deserved a podium, but Sainz threw everything away with his collision with Alonso,” supplies the Italian daily.
One more man did not escape criticism. When the Italians already “buyed out” the whole Ferrari, they also attacked the race director Niels Wittich. He is said to have made a mistake not only in the numerous interruptions of the race, but even by handing over the collision between Sainz and Alonso to the commissioners.
“Race director Niels Wittich gets zero points from us,” they wrote in Corriere della Sera. “He, like his predecessor Michael Masi, did everything wrong. It looks like he’s trying to cover his back from all sides so he doesn’t have to bear the responsibility.’
“The FIA also gets zero points from us because it lacks flexibility in applying the rules. In reality, the rules are not properly applied. Wittich must be fired immediately,” supplied by the Italians.
