The just lately launched improve bundle has left Ferrari floundering, with Carlos Sainz fearing the group has taken an enormous step backwards.
From the outset the improve, launched in Spain, has confirmed problematic, particularly the brand new ground, a lot in order that within the final couple of races the SF-24 has been seen bouncing in high-speed corners.
Over the Silverstone weekend the Maranello outfit tried quite a few issues, ultimately selecting a return to the Imola configuration.
Although this appeared to alleviate the bouncing it meant an total lack of tempo, because the Italian group misplaced floor to the ever-improving Mercedes and McLaren.
“It’s not ok,” mentioned Sainz, who completed 35s down on fourth-placed Oscar Piastri. “We now have principally the identical automobile as in Imola and since Imola everybody has upgraded, in all probability added two tenths to the automobile and we’ve needed to revert.
“We now have misplaced two or three months of efficiency acquire within the wind tunnel or efficiency we may have added in these three months,” he added, “so clearly we’ve not taken the suitable calls just lately.
“I really feel like Sunday was not less than back-to-basics, again to a automobile which was in Imola and we simply must improve it from right here. However it’s clear that our rivals are a superb step forward of us.
“I feel we did the utmost,” he mentioned of his British Grand Prix, which for the second successive race noticed him because the group’s solely level scorer. “Particularly in the midst of the race when it was slicks-on-wet. I managed to catch the rostrum positions by six or seven seconds in these circumstances that I all the time take pleasure in.
“Actually, all of the calls have been just about spot on, all of the tyres, all of the radio calls,” he added. “It was only a disgrace we weren’t quicker as a result of I really feel like we’d have been 100% within the battle for the rostrum or the win. However fifth and a bonus level on the finish with the quickest lap, so we have to be joyful.”
Waiting for the 2 races earlier than the summer time break he fears the issues will proceed.
“We are going to bounce in Turns 4 and 11,” he mentioned of the Hungaroring, “however till one thing higher comes we might should reside with bouncing for some time. In high-speed tracks we’d should run the ground of this bundle as a result of if not, the opposite one is undriveable.
“I belief the group will make the suitable calls circuit-to-circuit till a extra stable bundle, which isn’t bouncing in high-speed and good in low-speed, arrives after which we’ll begin fascinated about battling the highest three groups once more.”
Nonetheless, group boss Fred Vasseur disagrees, feeling that the group truly took a step ahead at Silverstone.
“It is tough to say this after the outcome, however I feel we did a step ahead this weekend, not less than on the technical facet,” mentioned the Frenchman. “We now have a significantly better understanding of the state of affairs Sunday night than Friday morning, and this I feel is encouraging for the final a part of the season.
“For positive the outcome in the present day is just not splendid,” he admitted, “however we compromised primarily the outcome yesterday, that greater than in the present day. Carlos did a stable race, that he was in a position to come again on Max on the primary int and to remain 10 laps within the gearbox of Max, with medium firstly of the race.
“On Charles it is a bit extra chaotic,” he added, “as a result of he was caught behind Stroll, he misplaced 10 seconds, and after we had the primary name for the pit cease, it was a bit on the sting.
“I feel we had precisely the identical state of affairs final yr, virtually on the identical stage of the season,” he continued. “Silverstone, Budapest, Spa… and we stopped it in Zandvoort to do an entire scan of the state of affairs, and we had a superb restoration, as a result of the weeks after we have been there.
“What is hard on this state of affairs is that when you might have a problem, you do not have a correct check to repair it, or not less than to grasp it. And it is fairly tough as a group typically to compromise or sacrifice a Friday session, when that you’re dropping a bit of little bit of time throughout the weekend. And to say, ‘OK, let’s neglect about FP1, FP2, be targeted on mid-term’.
“Belief me, this resolution as a group may be very tough, since you begin the weekend, and it was even worse in Silverstone with the climate. It implies that we put ourselves in a tricky state of affairs, however this we knew earlier than. And it was even worse with the truth that the Saturday morning was with moist tyres. That for positive it was not useful, however we assumed the choice earlier than the weekend, and I feel it was the suitable name to do it.”
It wasn’t that way back that Ferrari was seen as the primary risk to Purple Bull, requested if he nonetheless believes his group can problem for the title, Vasseur admitted: “Actually, I am not targeted. For those who ask me what the classification is, I do know that we’re P2. However I do not learn about what number of factors we’re behind Purple Bull and what number of factors we’re forward of, I do not know who’s P3, it is McLaren in all probability.
“It isn’t the subject of in the present day,” he insisted. “The subject of in the present day is to seek out efficiency, to come back again within the state of affairs of Monaco or Imola, and to have the ability to battle for pole place and the win. Then, the championship, we’ve nonetheless 12 races to go or 13 races to go. It is virtually a championship. It implies that we’ll have time to alter all the things ten instances.”
