TJ13 published an article before the 2022 British GP suggesting Ferrari were all at sea with their strategy and it proved to be the case. Carlos Sainz took command of the team’s strategy at the restart following a safety car being deployed with 13 laps to go.
Ferrari had 11 seconds when the safety car was deployed to tell race leader Charles LeClerc to pit, but appeared to dither. At the time LeClerc, Sainz and Hamilton were all on the hard tyre which would carry them to the end of the race.
Sainz who was a few seconds further behind LeClerc did pit for the soft tyre along with Lewis Hamilton. This hung Charles LeClerc out to dry at the race restart.
It seems as though each time Ferrari are presented this season with a surprise event be it rain or a safety car, they freeze and miss the moment to make the most of the opportunity.
Had the team double stacked its drivers the gap to Hamilton was enough at the time for them to retain P1 and P2.
Even more bizarrely as the restart loomed, Ferrari told Sainz to give 10 car lengths to his team mate on the harder tyres, presumably to give him an opportunity to retain the lead from Hamilton who like Sainz was now on new much quicker tyres.
Team radio: “The instruction is to give 10 car lengths to Charles as some breathing space”
Sainz argued with his engineer pointing out he would be under pressure from Hamilton. In the end the Spaniard stayed within a car length of LeClerc and breezed past him 4 corners into the restart lap.
Sainz: “Guys I’m under pressure from Hamilton. Please don’t ask these things. Let’s stop inventing, stop inventing I’m under pressure also”.
Jenson Button observed after the chequered flag, “I think they [Ferrari] just wanted to give Charles time to warm his tyres up”.
Earlier in the race, the team had twice refused to issue team orders when Sainz was leading the race, but Hamilton was catching his team mate. This gave Mercedes half a chance to pit for new tyres and split the Ferrari’s when Hamilton rejoined the race.
The team order was eventually given to Sainz on lap 31 to let LeClerc through and this prevented Mercedes jumping LeClerc. Charles then went on to build a 3.5second lead on his Spanish team mate.
There is a present a debrief going on within the Ferrari team as LeClerc will be demanding to know why the team weren’t ready for the safety car. It was obvious to the Sky commentators several seconds before the race officials decided to deploy it.
LeClerc was seen complaining to team principal Matt Binotto after the chequered flag, Binotto then admonished him waving his finger in front of the Monegasque’s face.
LeClerc told the media, “I had old hard tyres and obviously everyone around me had new softs so I was struggling massively. But in the end I managed – I mean I gave my absolute best, but it was enough.
And its disappointing.”
When asked about how the team had managed the race, LerClerc shrugged replying, “Again we’ll have to look at the global picture. On my side I only have my picture of my race – and in the car sometimes you don’t have the full picture.
“On my side I feel like I’ve lost a it too much time in the first stint especially.”
In that stint LeClerc was harrying Sainz and clearly much quicker but the team refused to order Carlos aside.
A magnanimous LeClerc concluded, “I don’t want the focus to be towards my disappointment – but more towards his [Carlos] incredible race win, and your first race win in Formula One is always extremely special”.
Can’t believe how naive and incompetent Ferrari can be at times. With Charles they have one of the two best drivers of his generation, and they are failing him miserably. Carlos’s self-obsessiveness is going to could tje Scuderia dearly. Not a teamplayer! 😡
well said
I am so shocked at comments. People forgot that Sainz was leading the race when Charles cried to be swapped and when he was swapped he couldn’t make a gap because his speed he only got from a healthy slip stream and drs . When rolls was reversed he couldn’t gap Sainz and yes Ferrari failed Sainz in the Canadian grand prix with 10 laps to go the red wall tyre would have ensured victory for Sainz but no they have him white wall tyres negating the speed advantage he would have had. At the British Grand Prix when Ferrari asked Sainz to give Charles a 10 car length gap to ensure that he won the race is all wrong . Ferrari took Sainz out of the lead of the race to give the lead to Charles and when Charles was on the wrong tyre behind the safety car why is it an issue to give the race back to Sainz so that he can win the race .this is the same thing that happens at red bull. Max now has a team mate that is better than him so they take Perez out of the equation by letting max change positions with him . If Perez had two more victories under his belt he would be challenging max for a world championship. But Reb bull already stole one world championship now they trying to make max a world champion at the expense of Perez. Same we have at Ferrari even at the time when Vettel was at Ferrari . If Charles can’t win he cries like a spoilt brat. So I don’t know what people are watching to go on about Sainz winning the race. I am just happy he finally broke the shackles and took out the elbows and defended his position
You almost made it. So close to the end of your point. But the bitterness overcame and you had to make it about max. Feels bad man.
Perez better than Max? What are you smoking??
Sainz screwed Leclerc in Miami and he did it again at Silverstone…..
By far Leclerc is the best driver that Ferrari fortunately posses by a dam contract. But they are not to far to loose him. Sig. Binotto have expressed all those unbelievable mistakes, taken by him and his team. He has no write to show his finger to Leclerc face. Ferrari is my favourite racing car in F1 and it will remain. But at the real moment I am more in favour of Leslerc. His humbilness shows but there is always a limit signor Binotto.